According to various quotes from Brendon Small (and we all know internet quotes for their 100% accuracy ratings) Galaktikon was a solo release from Small (though it features all the same musicians from Dethklok) that was done while negotiations were being settled for the, then, next Dethklok album. Hearing that, I’m sure those who didn’t pick up this gem in 2012 during its original release will flock to the stores to grab a copy, especially if you’re a Dethklok fan. Let me stop you right there.

Though is awesome and features Small and the crew doing what they do best, this is sooo not a Dethklok album. According to more accurate internet quotes, this album is an audio comic book. A concept album really that follows a hero named Triton whose just been served his divorce papers. Road trip, visit to a seer, bad omen, must rescue the wife. It’s all there in each individual song, progressing the story with symphonic awesomeness featuring the melodic vocal deliveries very much like Queen, some James Hetfield like stuff, and a variety of genre sounds such as Metal, Classic Rock, Progressive Metal, and so on.

As an “Audio Comic Book” it’s all good fun the first go around (if you’ve paid attention to the lyrics). I felt it was kind of like a good foreign film. You read the subs your first go, but every time thereafter you dedicate your eyes (in this case your ears) to everything else. The shredding, the instrumental stuff, the killer drums and everything in-between. It’s not Dethklok, it never was meant to be Dethklok, but you can feel that vibe underneath the complexity of the album as it delivers its story with a bit more of a technical edge rather then just brute force. As always, with stuff from Small, a keeper for me.