For over two decades, PSYCROPTIC has operated at the vanguard of technical death metal, defined by instrumental precision, structural intelligence and an uncompromising creative ethic. From their Tasmanian origins to commanding stages worldwide, the band have built a reputation on rhythmic complexity, exacting musicianship, and a refusal to plateau.
We caught up with them ahead of the album release for a chat with them discussing all things metal.
Psycroptic has a sound that’s instantly recognisable, even as your songwriting continues to evolve. Was developing that identity something that happened naturally over time, or was it a conscious goal?
A:Its definitely something that has just evolved naturally for us. A huge part of it though is due to Joe’s extremely unique approach to the way he plays and writes riffs on the guitar
You’ve managed to evolve without losing your identity—a balance many bands struggle with. How do you decide which elements of your sound are untouchable and which are open to experimentation?
A: I think its all pretty open to experimentation for us to an extent. I mean we will always keep having big thumpiong grooves and epic choruses but we always try and throw a curveball song in on most albums that will be full of things that we’ve never tried before. It keeps it fun and creative for us.
Technical death metal has changed considerably over the years. How has Psycroptic managed to develop its own voice while the genre itself has continued to evolve?
A: To be honest, we just do what we do. We don’t try to keep up with what other bands are doing or even try to stay within the genre of tech death at all. Psycroptic sounds the way it does because it’s the natural expression of the band members when we all come together to write music.
With AI becoming more mainstream, how do you think this will affect the music industry and the metal genre?
A: I think it will affect the music industry as a whole in a massive way, especially in pop music. I feel like metal will almost be the last frontier though when it comes to AI though. Metal fans are die hards and creatives and don’t except bull shit like AI so I think we will all resist it until the bitter end, at least I hope so anyway!!!!
If you could isolate one riff, section or musical moment from The Pulse of Annihilation that best represents where Psycroptic is today, which would it be and what makes it so significant?
A: Joe Haley riffs are way too sick in my opinion to just isolate one riff!!
Your music has become increasingly refined without sacrificing intensity. Is there a conscious effort to make songs more memorable now, or is that simply a by-product of experience?
A: I think around the time when we were writing ‘The inherited repression’ we kind of made the jump to focusing on more structured songs and trying to write with the live setting in mind a bit more than we did before it. That meant that song structures needed to be simplified down a bit and really putting focus on hooks and making songs memorable.
Jason Peppiatt and Jason Keyser bring two distinct vocal styles to the record. How do you decide which voice best serves a particular section of a song?
A: Its really just trial and error and playing around with both our voices to see what works best where. Its definitely been a fun process for us though having the 2 sets of vocals to play with in the studio
Your music walks a fine line between mathematical precision and pure aggression. When you’re writing, do you ever intentionally leave imperfections or unpredictability the music or do you aim for perfection ?
A; I think we try to be a little unpredictable at times as that keeps things interesting for us and the listeners. We try to always keep things tight though as we’ve kind of always been about that since the beginning.
You’re described as the Vanguard of technical death metal. What other bands do you believe are with you in the vanguard?
A; Hahaha, I don’t know if we’re quite that! I guess the other tech death greats would be I guess Archspire, Origin, Fallujah and then the obvious old ones like Death, Necrophagist and Spawn of Possesion
The album title suggests inevitability and collapse. Were the lyrical themes inspired by current events, personal observations, or something more philosophical about humanity’s cycles?
A; Its always just my personal observations on the current state of the world. I try not to force my opinions down people throats though. I guess I like my lyrics to be left open to interpretation and maybe a bit thought provoking for the listener
The dual-vocal approach creates a conversation rather than just two vocal styles. Do Jason Peppiatt and Jason Keyser approach a song like actors playing different characters, or is it purely instinctive?
A; Its mainly a lot of trial and error in the studio to figure out what sounds best. We had a lot of fun putting all the vocal parts together for this one!!
Joe described The Pulse of Annihilation as the culmination of everything that’s come before. Was there a specific moment during writing where you realised, “This feels like the definitive Psycroptic record”?
A; I don’t know really to be honest, but I think we just really managed to capture all the elements of what has made the ‘Psycroptic’ sound over the last 25 years in this album and we really couldn’t be happier with the end product. It’s the perfect stamp in time for where the band is at this current time!
On July 17th, PSYCROPTIC enters a decisive new chapter with The Pulse Of Annihilation, their first full-length release for Metal Blade Records. The partnership marks a strategic alignment between one of extreme metal’s most technically formidable acts and a label whose history is intertwined with the genre’s evolution.
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