Psycroptic
Isle of Disenchantment

March 2002
Released: 2001, Independent
Rating: 4.0/5
Reviewer: JP

This month I took time to visit a couple of Australian death metal bands: Cohort and Pyscroptic. The Underground Thunder from Downunder as it were.



Psycroptic start things off with bang. The music just kicks in, no weird little instrumental intros, no samples, no sound effects…just…GO! Everything about Psycroptic is what I like about death metal. Fast and furious with technical playing. Don’t get me wrong, I like Obituary and Cancer and stuff, but I prefer the speed of bands like Psycroptic that use speed to breath taking effect.



The band has put together a great package, a dark and ominous cover, a classic semi-illegible death metal logo, slightly out of focus photos of the band in the woods and all put together in a pro package with lyrics, notes and so on. The lyrics are more in depth and intelligent. They do not fall into the gore-metal category of bands like Exhumed but more often tell dark stories. I especially like the tale called “Netherworld Reality”. It is truly creepy. Many of the lyrics touch on dark, occult topics but not the usual “Hail Satan!” posturing which can get a little dull at times.



The vocals are pure, blazing, death; the drums are fast, great double-kick and the band is tight and hard. That’s a good thing! Strong songs, good production and a nice package all add up to a great death metal band. Recommended for serious fans of the genre!