Psycroptic

An uncompromising Australian death metal outfit, Psycroptic emerged in the early aughts with a brutal sound built on a foundation of technical metalcore and kinetic extreme metal. Commencing with 2001's self-released Isle of Disenchantment, the group went on to share stages with whiplash-inducing contemporaries like Cannibal Corpse and Aborted, and issue a string of well-received slabs of discord and fury with highlights arriving via 2008's Nuclear Blast-issued Ob(Servant), and 2018's versatile As the Kingdom Drowns. Hailing from the remote Australian island state of Tasmania, brothers Joe (guitar) and David Haley (drums) joined vocalist Matthew Chalk and bassist Cameron Grant to form the group in 1999. Based in the capital city of Hobart, Psycroptic quickly moved from demo stage to issuing their first full-length album, The Isle of Disenchantment, by 2001; then kept busy with local concert dates and select festival engagements through until the release of 2003's Scepter of the Ancients LP, which effectively established the band as international-caliber contenders in the technical death metal arena. 2004 saw Psycroptic opening Australian tours for visiting dignitaries such as Incantation and Deeds of Flesh, before heading off to Europe for a string of dates with Dismember, Anata, and Sanatorium that greatly expanded their fan base, and led to a deal with Neurotic Records. But the first thing Psycroptic did when they returned home to Tasmania was part company with vocalist Chalk, after which they spent the ensuing months breaking in his replacement, Jason Peppiatt (ex-Born Headless, Yorta, and Bolverk), by touring both locally (with Hate Eternal) and in America (with Deeds of Flesh). In due time, the new lineup felt prepared to record their third effort, Symbols of Failure (released in October 2006), and, once again, the album was received with open arms by critics and fans, resulting in ever more high-profile touring opportunities, and paving the way to a long-deserved worldwide contract for the group -- this time with heavy metal powerhouse Nuclear Blast. The first product of this new relationship would be Psycroptic's fourth long-player, Ob(Servant), which bulldozed onto the scene in the summer of 2008. The Inherited Repression arrived four years later, and would be their final release for Nuclear Blast. They inked a deal with Los Angeles-based metal institution Prosthetic for their eponymous sixth studio long player, and stayed with the label for their subsequent offering, 2018's dynamic As the Kingdom Drowns. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia