The Octopus is something that’s had it tendrils subtley worked into Ninjabread for several years. You may’ve glimpsed an Octopus poster in the background of the strip, Murderbunga’s Visionary chest or the advertising placeholders. I hope it’s wormed its way into your consciousness.

But what is the Octopus? Well, any member of Flame On that’s had lifts this year has been subjected to it at the full and appropriate volume.

It’s Amplifier’s third, entirely self-financed double-album.

The Octopus is one of the core reasons I’ve been happy this last year. Why? It’s a pure creative vision. There first two albums (2004′s Amplifier and 2006′s Insider) were created with commercial pressures, and (especially with Insider) you can feel the artistic compromise. They’re studio albums released under labels, whereas the Octopus by comparison is a sprawling star god – a celestial deity manifesting on two CDs (with an octopussy eight tracks each). Seeing this come into being inspires me to write Ninjabread’s self realised speculative imagination.

Stand out tracks include Sick Rose – a dark and slightly stormy song based on a William Blake poem. It makes me think of Graham McNeil’s Prospero Burns for no real reason. Faster than Light builds in an epic way, and can only be listened to while driving over the speed limit. Trading Dark Matter On The Stock Exchange has an incredibly cool song name.

You can listen to the Octopus on Bandcamp.

I’m off to see them again this December at Sound Control Manchester. Come along, it shall throb, and be epic.