Frantic Bleep was founded in November 2001 in Kongsvinger, Norway. The original instrumentation was Patrick Scantlebury playing guitars and synthesizers, Eywin Sundstrom on guitars and Karl Arthur Renstrøm on the drums. In November 2002, they released four songs for their first and only demo CD called Fluctuadmission. During the recording, Paul Mozart Bjørke joined the group as a studio member on vocals and bass.
Although a debut demo, it generated much excitement by both press and fans alike. It also caught label attention quickly and the band received quite a few offers and decided to sign worldwide with The End Records in the summer of 2003.
Karl Arthur Renstrøm was replaced by Sten Erik Svendheim in July 2003. The band began recording their debut album, The Sense Apparatus in October of 2003. The recording proved to be a major project, taking an entire year to complete. The Sense Apparatus features 41 minutes of what has been described as dramatic and massive music. The album was produced by Patrick Scantlebury with artwork by Christian Ruud. The album also features Kjetil Foseid, Daniel Solheim and Agnete M. Kirkevaag (Madder Mortem) performing various vocal duties. In 2004/2005, Lars Gunnar Morastseter and Trond Sand, both previous from the Norwegian death metal band The Laughing Man joined the band. Writing and rehearsals for the follow-up started and the band played their first, and so far only, live gig, in their hometown Kongsvinger during the month of August 2005.
As of 2009, the album was announced as being in progress, and had a tentative release date of 2009, but as of June 2012, there has been no updates from the band.
Neboulous Termini
Frantic Bleep Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tremble before the abyss...
Would they never wake up?
Those of the first water
Have you seen
the rising generation,
And those who
couldn't fight?
The were always drinking
The fluid of our well
They were always eating
In time before harvest
We came from far away
Only to find you in lethargy
Have you seen the rising generation,
And those who couldn't fight?
Would they never wake up?
Those of the first water
Yet I tremble... Why
Tremble before the abyss
That already yawns before me
Oh cup too long denied to my desires.
Come, noble crystal, give me the poison
That must illuminate my reason or destroy it!
Between the devil and the deep blue sea
In certain villages they'll always be
The lyrics to Frantic Bleep's song, "Neboulous Termini," can be interpreted in various ways, but it seems to be a reflection on the passing of time and the loss of youth. The first stanza implies a sense of fear and apprehension in the face of the unknown. The abyss represents the unknown, and the singer trembles before it, perhaps unsure of what lies ahead. The reference to "those of the first water" suggests individuals of great importance, who may have been lost or forgotten over time.
The second stanza seems to be a reflection on the younger generation and the idea of wasted potential. The "rising generation" could refer to the youth who were full of potential but didn't rise to the occasion of making anything meaningful out of themselves. The line, "those who couldn't fight," could refer to those who couldn't fight for their own ideology, in terms of societal or religious beliefs.
The third stanza seems to be a statement of disappointment. The singer has come from far away, possibly searching for something, only to find the people in lethargy. The fourth stanza seems to be a repetition of the second stanza, once again highlighting the younger generation's wasted potential.
In the fifth stanza, the singer continues to tremble before the abyss but expresses a desire for something that has been denied them. The "cup" in this context refers to something that they have long desired but have been unable to attain. The final two lines, "Come, noble crystal, give me the poison / That must illuminate my reason or destroy it!" are somewhat cryptic. The singer may be asking for some sort of enlightenment or clarity, even if it comes at a destructive cost.
Line by Line Meaning
Yet I tremble... Why
Despite my fear, I question its origin.
Tremble before the abyss...
Shake uncontrollably in the face of unfathomable darkness and emptiness.
Would they never wake up?
Will the privileged ever come out of their ignorant slumber?
Those of the first water
The highest and most elite.
Have you seen the rising generation,
Have you noticed the young and upcoming hopefuls?
And those who couldn't fight?
And those who don't have the strength or willpower to fight back?
They were always drinking
The privileged constantly enjoyed the benefits of our collective resources.
The fluid of our well
Water, the most basic necessity of life that they're privileged to have access to whenever they want.
They were always eating
The wealthy always had an abundance of food, far before it was harvest season.
In time before harvest
Before it's time to reap what they have sown, the wealthy have already indulged themselves in plenty.
We came from far away
We have traveled a great distance to find you, disappointed that you haven't seen what we see.
Only to find you in lethargy
But instead you're in a state of inactivity, unresponsive to our pleas.
Yet I tremble... Why
I question my fear once again, as I try to make sense of the hopelessness I feel.
Tremble before the abyss
Shake with fear, facing the endless expanse of darkness and void.
That already yawns before me
Which I'm already facing, and which threatens to consume me whole.
Oh cup too long denied to my desires.
Oh, glass of poison that I've wanted for so long, but have been unable to attain.
Come, noble crystal, give me the poison
I call upon the purity and nobility of the glass, asking it to give me my long-awaited poison.
That must illuminate my reason or destroy it!
The poison I seek will either enlighten me or destroy me completely, but I know I must have it.
Between the devil and the deep blue sea
Stuck in a difficult and impossible position, with no positive outcome.
In certain villages they'll always be
There will always be areas in the world where the oppressed and downtrodden are trapped with no escape.
Contributed by Caden I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jake Nunn
one of the best songs of the album
GNOSISCOLECTIVA
This is so fresh and original in these days Keep it up
Janderson Dias
Great band, I came here just because of the Madder Mortem new guitarist Patrick Scantlebury, but this sounds amazing.
davide bolzoni
I got this album in 2004, glad to hear it's still fresh and original in 2020
nicholas peter gagg
Yep this album is great and many years ahead of it's time, and sounds original unlike a lot of modern metal. Have you heard anything new that I should check out as I have gone back to listening to my FUGAZI and KILLING JOKE albums and I am struggling to find new bands that I like in rock/metal music.I used to buy Terrorizer magazine (but gave up due to lack of interesting bands) and this was on a sampler c.d. and immediatly bought the album, also I bought an album by a band called ASGAROTH -another one album and they are gone. Check out a track called Naked Eye (2002) it was really strikng and had a unique heavy sound.
Tony C
@adolf13jake I agree with you
snorgisborg2
I saw a babie's face in there