Australia’s metal masters Psycroptic
are back! Hailing from Hobart, Tasmania Psycroptic formed in 1999 by brothers
Dave (drums) and Joe (guitar) Haley. The Haley’s created Psycroptic
with Cameron Grant on bass and vocalist Matthew Chalk, who soon after became
a drummer with established local death metal act M.S.I. Under that line-up
Psycroptic recorded a demo titled ‘The Isle of Disenchantment’
but the result impressed the band enough to release it as a proper CD. The
band received much praise and respect early on from fans in Australia and
overseas and the buzz led to Psycroptic recording their second album ‘The
Scepter of the Ancients’ in 2003. That same year the Psycroptic played
their first full Australian tour supporting death metallers Incantation.
Psycroptic were hitting the European stages in 2004 with current vocalist
Jason Peppiatt as Chalk expressed reluctance to undertake the journey. Psycroptic
were now a world-class band sharing the stage with artists such as Dismember,
Anata and Cannibal Corpse to name a few. The band’s latest album ‘Ob(Servant)’
will be hailed as an Australian metal classic! The first thing I was drawn
to when I got my copy of the album was the interesting artwork, I really
loved it and would have to say it is one of the more interesting album cover
designs I have seen this year! They’re not just cementing themselves
as one of Australia’s leading death metal bands, but they’re
now being hailed one of the world’s premier death metal bands and
rightfully so! 'Ob(Servant)' is excessively violent and brutal, the music
certainly doesn't suffer from a lack of technical musicianship. Logan Mader
produced the album; he is best known for his guitar playing with both Machine
Head and Soulfly. This album hits you like a ten ton hammer from the get
go, the first track 'Ob(Servant)’ can only be described as brutality
at its best and an amazing opener for what is one powerful album! Other
stand out tracks on the album include ‘Immortal Army of One’,
‘Slave s of Nil’ and ‘A Calculated Effort’. One
other track that comes to mind is 'Removing the Common Bond’; I really
enjoyed the eerie, haunting finish to that one! ‘Ob(servant)’
is by far the bands finest work to date, with every release Australia’s
very own Psycroptic just keep making their way up to the top of the death
metal ladder! If you love your death metal than you are going to lap up
‘Ob(servant)’. The only problem I can find with this album is
that is just simply isn’t long enough, nine tracks I loved but would
have liked to see a couple more added to the final product.
Ob( Servant)
A Calculated Effort
Slave s of Nil
The Shifting Equilibrium
Removing the Common Bond
Horde in Devolution
Blood Stained Linage
Immortal Army of One
Initiate
Rating: 90
Reviewed By: Cameron Edney
- http://www.myspace.com/insideout666ints |
Second Review:
Psycroptic
formed in Tazmania just before the turn of the century. Their goal upon
their creation was to create death metal the way they wanted. The dark extreme
that Psycroptic has played over the years has warranted attention from metal
heads. This aggressive death metal formation signed with Nuclear Blast Records
in early 2008. “Ob(Servant)” is Psycroptic’s first release
release on their new label, and what a start for this malevolent partnership.
If you have yet to hear this devilish concept you can find some similar
elements in bands like Dying Fetus, Arsis, Necrophagist, Skinless, Black
Dahlia Murder, Cephalic Carnage, The Absence, and Lamb of God. At times
they are rapid and relentless, and others plodding and brutal.
The authoritative guitar riffs grab and rip your face off while you listen.
Much of this technical guitarwork is assertive and catchy. Put that together
with an inexorable and rabid drumbeat, featuring blistering blast beats
and you have one hell of intense experience. On top of this monstrous sound
are the yelling and death growl vocals that set the bar of intensity even
higher.
The only faults, if you can call them that, are the weird interludes in
songs and toward ends of songs. They cut the flow and energy some. However,
it does add to the dynamics of “Ob(Servant)”. Ex-Machine Head/Soulfly
guitarist Logan Mader (Divine Heresy, Gojira...) produced this album. Sounds
like a job well done to me.
Psycroptic is for you extreme metal fans out there. “Ob(Servant)”
won’t disappoint. Just remember one thing…Play this loud!
Rating: 86
Reviewed By: Jeffrey D. Adkins |
