Throwing just about everything in the way of metal at you, aside from simplicity, Ontario based prog-metal band Æpoch seems to have the overall aim of annihilating your cranium. Think Gigan (and God I love Gigan) times about a thousand with a heavy dose of... everything. Seriously, there is no other band I've heard as of late that throws this much into an album and keeps it cohesive enough to be considered music.

This album is a Death Metal smorgasbord, but there is an overall psychedelic feel to Awakening Inception... eventually. Sure, the opening tracks are obsessed with kicking your face through the nearest wall, but when things calm down,  Æpoch can be a somewhat thoughtful affair. You'll get a spoonful of really well thought out bass solos, classic rock-esque solos (so many solos), even some alt-rock type stuff too. Surprisingly, even blackened elements make their way onto this album. Tracks like 'Delirium of Negation' and 'The Expiration' serve to shatter your expectations amidst a sea of the unexpected. Its baffling, almost indescribable. Then again, I just described it.

If you find a dull moment on Awakening Inception, then you have just listened to way too much metal. Seriously, how are you alive? Brains, no doubt, melted on the floor. At least it happened while you were listening to something good - like Æpoch.