The word “experimental” is an incredibly dangerous one in the world of music. Simply because it can lead to quite literally anything that pops into the mind of the artist, and given the wide variety and territories that metal covers, being an experimental act can be quite… random sometimes. So whenever an act manages to pull something together by going to so many different places it feels like finding a treasure, and that’s sort of what it felt like upon discovering Potmos Hetoimos.

Imagine trying to take slivers from the realms of metal particularly of the sludge, progressive, and even post varieties. That’s one fucking hell of a concoction that can lead to just as much glory as well as horror. Then try to fathom bringing in math elements and even some jazz attitudes to the mix that really just make your already super varied pot even spicier. That’s something that Potmos Hetoimos has been doing for quite literally eleven albums now, and with this new record of “Vox Medusae,” I feel like this act has brought a new style to my ears that I never thought I’d enjoy. There’s a special chaos achieved within the hour-long experience that “Vox Medusae” encapsulates that’s executed brilliantly through a true menagerie of different instruments done via different takes on different styles that Potmos Hetoimos approaches with both fervor and talent. It’s at this point, somewhere within these tracks that tackle the sin of lust in its many forms, that “Vox Medusae” becomes what every experimentation album sets out to do as a piece of music and becomes a genuine mystery that the listener wants to delve deeper into and uncover the secrets. That’s something very few bands can bring to the table with music, but Potmos Hetoimos does it with no less than absolute skill.

Like I said, the word “experimental” is very dangerous and something that can become quite tedious if you see it often. I’ve seen it more recently but it’s with Potmos Hetoimos that it has reached a unique peak in instrumentation and execution of the concept. Is “Vox Medusae” the best experimental piece I’ve heard? Far from it, but it’s no less engaging and intriguing.

“Vox Medusae” releases on September 12th via Not Music (the label’s very first release)!

LISTEN to previous material from Potmos Hetoimos on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Potmos Hetoimos on Facebook here.