apsis

"Birmingham's Revolution Radio, a website and radio show dedicated to local music, hosted a pre-Halloween extravaganza at the High Note Lounge on October 28. The concert featured an all-Birmingham bill of bands: Namastafam, Apsis, and Mind Trip, plus a costume contest.
Unfortunately, Namastafam had to cancel, but Apsis and Mind Trip were more than willing to pick up the slack.

Apsis opened the show with a crowd-pleasing rendition of John Carpenter's Halloween theme and kept the crowd's energy level high throughout the set. The prog-metal rockers presented a set of schizophrenic songs that shifted wildly between beautifully melodic moments and abrasive metal bursts and kept the audience switching from head bobbing to head banging.

The success of the blend falls largely on lead-singer Chip, who, despite an occasionally nasal falsetto, comfortably transitioned between Maynard Keenan (TOOL)-esque euphonics and Chino Moreno(deftones)-like growls. Steve Kirkpatrick's jackhammer drumming on the more metal bits also proved to be a highlight. inspiring many screaming audience members to wave their 32 oz Mason jar beers in time. - PERFORMER Magazine (SouthEastern edition)

Rating: 7

Apsis
Blood Hits The Bridle (2006)

Through the ashes of the Birmingham, Alabama rock/metal scene comes Apsis - the bastard child of Chino Moreno (Deftones) and Maynard (Tool). Apsis, currently an unsigned band, has a lot to offer the local and national scene - including the best guitar player I've seen in a long time, a scream and stage presence that can't be ignored.

Apsis is the band to check out in Birmingham, Alabama.

Stand-out Songs: Never Catch a Falling Knife, Mercury, Arctic Minuet.
- www.hitrockbottom.org

Drawing their influences from prog and post-metal purveyors Tool and ISIS, these Birmingham natives create dark, ethereal atmospheres with their continuously evolving song structures.

Composition is really where apsis shines. The songs build slowly, establishing an ambient theme and repetition that progresses until reaching full thrash fervor. The majority of the songs blend seamlessly into one another producing an uninterrupted fabric on which the album is built. The only song that doesn’t fit completely with the others is "Like Lovers" which also appeared on their previous release, Blood Hits the Bridle.

Guitarist Nick Mitchell and drummer Steve Kirkpatrick are incredibly talented and serve to really drive the songs on this album forward. Mitchell’s break-neck noodling generally underscores the heavier chord progressions, but is no less impressive for its understated presentation. Kirkpatrick, who recently replaced by Matt Wilson in the current lineup, appears fully capable of all the tricky beats and time signatures required of any prog-metal band worth its salt.

The only small complaint with Only the Dead Came Home is that while lead vocalist Chip Hudson has a strong metal growl, his clean vocals on tracks like "Sirens" and "A Broken Melody" are occasionally nasally and a touch off-key on the upper-registers. This too could be said of "Like Lovers" on Blood Hits the Bridle, yet the version of that song found on this album has resolved all such issues. The rest of the tracks on this album are unaffected by this problem and, again, is only a small complaint that shouldn’t deter you from this album. Metal-heads and music geeks who find pleasure in proggy time signature changes will find plenty to like about apsis. (Self-released)

www.apsistheband.com

-David Feltman - SouthEast Performer Magazine (March 2008)

UM declares Apsis the band to listen to in 2008…
Birmingham, Alabama has a very dark history…. From the horrors of the Civil Rights movement to Eric
Rudolph’s nefarious abortion clinic bombing to the haunted legends of Sloss Furnaces. It is, perhaps, this
inauspicious influence that has lent itself to the hauntingly desperate music of the progressive art rock musings
of Birmingham, Alabama four piece, apsis.
Since Halloween of 2005 apsishave crafted their sonic mix of sludge, post rock, and alternative metal into the
brooding, progressive soundscapes that can currently be heard on their newest release “Only the dead came
home�.
Intricate while retaining a minimalist approach, They write songs about loss, confusion and sad endings that are
somehow illuminated by the faint glimmer of hope. Often overlooked because of their staunch refusal to follow
the current cookie cutter trend of so many “metal-core� acts, the band infuses Their songs with honesty and
emotion that soon wins over even the most critical listener.
And though they have released Two EPs prior to great fanfare, the band finds its real strength in its Live Show.
Described as “Perhaps one of the most Important live bands you may never hear� by MetalInFlux webzine,
apsis lay it all on the line with each and every live performance. Sometimes performing their set behind an
almost opaque curtain, apsis encourage Their audiences to “hear� Their music and to “feel� each note.
“Apsis has been one of my favorite bands to listen to as well as interview. Their music is amazing. I simply
can’t get enough of it. It’s haunting, thought-provoking sounds draw you in and won’t let you go. I recommend
this band to anyone who appreciates rock and metal.� Angel Renee, UM Editor
Purchase their cd today! Go to: http://cdbaby.com/cd/apsis - UndiZcovered Magazine (Jan 2008)