Behold... The Arctopus
American instrumental metal band from Brooklyn, formed 2001.
Behold... The Arctopus is an instrumental metal band based in Brooklyn, New York, that started in 2001. The group plays a technical, progressive style blending metal with 20th-century classical music, using a standard electric guitar and drum kit alongside a 12-string Warr guitar—an instrument that spans bass and guitar ranges and is played by tapping with one or both hands. Their music often features dissonance and polyrhythms.
The band was founded by Colin Marston and Mike Lerner, who had played guitar together for over a year and a half before finding a drummer. Their demo *We Need a Drummer* used a drum machine and caught the attention of Charlie Zeleny, who met the duo, impressed them, and joined immediately. After two EPs and a split release, their first full-length album *Skullgrid* came out on October 16, 2007. They toured with Genghis Tron and The Dillinger Escape Plan, but the tour was cut short when a member of The Dillinger Escape Plan was injured. Between the Buried and Me then took the band on tour, with August Burns Red as support, to help recover financial losses.
On December 30, 2008, Zeleny announced on MySpace that after five years he was leaving to focus on session work. On November 25, 2009, Weasel Walter said he was moving to New York City to join on drums and write "new, more extreme material from scratch." The band confirmed this on December 16, 2009.
The band's influences include heavy metal, progressive metal, and technical death metal, as well as bands like Ulver, Death, Neurosis, Darkthrone, Meshuggah, Atheist, Voivod, and Gorguts. Composers Béla Bartók, Luciano Berio, Arnold Schoenberg, and Krzysztof Penderecki also shaped their sound. Marston explained in an interview that songs written by one member were fully scored on paper and learned by the band; early songs had only a few notated parts, but the trend moved toward writing everything out.
Discography includes studio albums *Skullgrid* (2007), *Horrorscension* (2012), *Cognitive Emancipation* (2016), *Hapeleptic Overtrove* (2020), and *Interstellar Overtrove* (2023). EPs are *Arctopocalypse Now... Warmageddon Later* (2003) and *Nano-Nucleonic Cyborg Summoning* (2005). A split with Orthrelm came out in 2006, and the demo *We Need a Drummer* was released digitally in 2002. The DVD *Memphis 3-6-06* was issued in 2007.
Current members are Colin Marston (Warr guitar, since 20
- formed
- 2001
- origin
- Brooklyn, New York City, United States
- genre
- Instrumental metal
- years_active
- 2001–present
- label
- Black Market Activities
- associated_acts
- Genghis Tron, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Between the Buried and Me, August Burns Red
Lore & Background
Behold... The Arctopus was formed by Colin Marston and Mike Lerner, who had been playing guitar together for over a year-and-a-half before finding a drummer. Their demo We Need a Drummer, which used a drum machine, was picked up by drummer Charlie Zeleny. Zeleny met the duo and impressed them, and was immediately asked to join the band. After releasing two EPs and a split, the band released their first full-length album, Skullgrid, on October 16, 2007. They toured with Genghis Tron and The Dillinger Escape Plan, but the tour was cut short by an injury to a member of The Dillinger Escape Plan. To help recoup financial losses, Between the Buried and Me took the band on tour, supported by August Burns Red.
On December 30, 2008, Charlie Zeleny announced he was leaving the band to focus on session work. On November 25, 2009, Weasel Walter announced he was moving to New York City to join on drums and write new, more extreme material. The band confirmed this on December 16, 2009. The band's music is instrumental, inspired by metal and 20th century classical music, and is executed on regular electric guitar and drum kit, but also involves a 12-string Warr guitar played by tapping. Their music often includes dissonance and polyrhythms. Influences include heavy metal, progressive metal, technical death metal, and composers such as Béla Bartók, Luciano Berio, Arnold Schoenberg, and Krzysztof Penderecki.
Reader's Guide
Behold... The Arctopus occupies a distinctive niche in instrumental metal, blending extreme metal techniques with the structural complexity of 20th century classical composition. Their use of the Warr guitar, a hybrid instrument covering bass and guitar ranges played via tapping, sets them apart sonically. The band's recording process, as described by Marston, evolved from partially notated parts to fully scored compositions, reflecting a methodical approach to songwriting. Their discography includes five studio albums—Skullgrid (2007), Horrorscension (2012), Cognitive Emancipation (2016), Hapeleptic Overtrove (2020), and Interstellar Overtrove (2023)—as well as EPs and a split with Orthrelm. Personnel changes, particularly the departure of Charlie Zeleny and the arrival of Weasel Walter, marked shifts in the band's sound toward more extreme material. The band's significance lies in its fusion of technical metal and avant-garde classical influences, contributing to the development of progressive and experimental metal. Their legacy is sustained by a dedicated following and continued output, with Jason Bauers joining on drums in 2016.
Did You Know?
- The band's demo was titled 'We Need a Drummer' and used a drum machine.
- Charlie Zeleny joined the band after hearing the demo and impressing the duo.
- The band's first full-length album, 'Skullgrid', was released on October 16, 2007.
- Weasel Walter joined the band in 2009 to write 'new, more extreme material from scratch.'
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Behold... The Arctopus?
Behold... The Arctopus is an instrumental metal band out of Brooklyn, New York, that has been active since 2001. They are known for a highly technical, progressive style that fuses heavy metal with elements of 20th-century classical composition.
Who started Behold... The Arctopus and how did the lineup come together?
Colin Marston and Mike Lerner founded the group after spending over a year and a half playing guitar together. They eventually recruited a drummer to complete the trio, and their early demo was literally titled *We Need a Drummer*.
What instrument gives Behold... The Arctopus their distinctive sound?
Alongside a standard electric guitar and drum kit, the band features a 12-string Warr guitar that covers both bass and guitar registers. It is played by tapping the strings with one or both hands, which lets a single player cover a much wider tonal range than a conventional guitar.
What musical characteristics define their compositions?
Their pieces are built around dissonant harmonies and complex polyrhythms, giving the music a dense, mathematically layered feel. The overall approach blends aggressive metal riffing with the structural ambition of modern classical writing.
What label and scene is Behold... The Arctopus connected to?
They release their material through Black Market Activities and are frequently mentioned alongside acts like Genghis Tron, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Between the Buried and Me, and August Burns Red. This places them firmly within the American progressive and experimental metal community.
More in American progressive metal musical groups 1-24
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