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In 2025, heavy metal obsessed with space is taking over the universe. Blood Incantation’s Absolute Elsewhere was Metal Hammer’s album of the year last year, Herbert-obsessed explorers Dvne are one of prog metal’s fastest-rising prospects, and quite frankly, French trio Slift may be the best live band this writer’s ever seen. Hopefully, this fascination with the outer reaches is going to help Psychonaut thrive.
Formed in 2013 by singer/guitarist Stefan De Graef and bassist/co-vocalist Thomas Michiels, this lot are inspired by the post-metal of their native Belgium (Amenra, Stake, etc.) alongside the mind-expanding antics of Tool and Pink Floyd. Stefan even has a son called David, named after David Gilmour. Their winding songs usually come with lyrics about transcendent beings and intergalactic voyages, but on World Maker, things are somewhat different.
With their third album, Psychonaut still sound like Psychonaut. The music is driving, heady and dynamic, even if the run-times are slimmer than what we got on past albums Unfold The God Man (2018) and Violate Consensus Reality (2022). The single And You Came With Searing Light, for example, is an ever-evolving entity, growing from ambient musicianship and spaced-out dual vocals to layer upon layer of guitar. It seems impossibly huge for a band with just three members.
Where the music is still up among the stars, though, Psychonaut’s lyrics have very much been dragged down to Earth. Stefan’s son was born in January 2024, and within a year of his arrival, both Stefan and Thomas lost their fathers to cancer. World Maker finds the pair trying to wrap their head around the emotional whiplash. The track Endless Currents has a line that goes ‘Lead the way! Soar! Everlong!’, intended to act both as a farewell to the dead and encouragement for Stefan’s baby boy.
The theme gives Psychonaut’s music a spiritual impact it never had before. Stargazer (named after the stargazing birth position) would always have been powerful no matter what its words were about: the song opens in a metallic burst before wading through a Floyd-like haze and coming full circle at the end. But, hearing Stefan describe his son as ‘so frail yet godlike’ and urge his departed dad ‘towards the sky’, it makes all the grandeur feel even bigger and well-deserved.
Psychonaut are far from superstars in the current scene, but World Maker needs to change that. Emotionally harsh and musically brave, it’s a work of art right at home with what metalheads love to hear right now. We should make this band famous and we should do it now.
World Maker is out on Friday, October 24, via Pelagic.
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