Band: Psycroptic
Genre: Technical Death Metal
Most people do not do the effort to really listen to music. That´s the reason why hip hop, pop and regueton exist and in fact they are popular. Just take some good looking fellow or girl, add some repetitive beats with a synthesizer and a catchy chorus and you have a hit in your hands. Music for lazy, stupid people.
I think that´s atrocious. To me, real transcendental music is the one that obliges the listener to really pay attention, to use his/her brain to discover new things in every spin. This quality can be found in a number of genres (jazz, new age, some blues subgenres like bluegrass, classic rock, classical music, some electronic music, etc) and of course it is found in metal.
Let´s take for example the australian band Psycroptic, my absolute favorite amongst technical death metal bands. To describe this band i need only one word: complex. Joe Haley is without any doubt one of the best guitar players in metal. His technique is just fucking incredible. Ever changing riffs, ultra fast playing and intelligent use of power chords are all over the place, forming a fantastic and difficult experience for the listener.
Although this is clearly guitar-driven music, the other instruments don´t stay there to watch, no sir!!, they complement the guitar in a complex approach. David Haley (yes, they are brothers) in the drums kicks ass, with a powerful double bass attack (although he is not a double bass obsess kind of player) and a full display of variation and time changes that make it hard to the listener to follow him. I can´t imagine how the fuck they manage to learn the stuff they compose!! On the other hand, there´s an equally technical bass playing, courtesy of Cameron Grant. The vocals are sick, unmerciful, interesting and full of energy.
As a whole, Psycroptic is an incredible listen but a very demanding one. You´ll have to focus to avoid getting lost in their intricate music. So far the band has published three albums, all equal in quality: "The Isle Of Disenchantment", "The Scepter Of The Ancients" and "Symbols Of Failure"
If you like your music stupid, repetitive and catchy, keep the hell away from this band. If you have the brain to understand complex, breath-taking music, embrace these fabulous metalheads.
At the end, it seems that they create this music to piss off the world´s musicians by sending a clear message: "Try to top that, bitches!!!"
In your face metal for intelligent listeners.
Download Psycroptic´s discography here
Song: "Lacertine Forest" from "The Scepter of the Ancients"
In this world there's an unknown forest
deep within parts not explored - yet.
A corner of earth that's a mystery,
though only to our human race.
A residence, of an ancient clan
that have lived here for generations, and have
survived -
by remaining in this place of seclusive
presidence.
A forest - an extensive population
Of lizards - various breeds
Most un-named, some with almost human features
Most half breeds.
Some you'll find can even fly, their species is
growing larger
All are born, within the trees, and their skin
is rough like
Scaled.......Bark.....
They are born with just a mother, from a spawn
taken from the tree
It is secreted on her skin, within days a child
is within.
Only six weeks and the child is born - a male
but no genitals
There are no need for these as all are fathered
by the trees.
This is a race on a steady decrease, an unknown
foe called 'humans'
Deadly pollution, drifting across, ocean to
their land
Causing - drought, killing the trees
Taking their life source, causing distress,
elders call council
Much discussion, form strategy
Then after much careful planning, decides
To send a troop of flying lizards, a-broad
Their mission is to discover
What it is that is destroying
Their fragile eco-system
And to try make things right.
We are a race from an ancient source
that have lived here for generations
And have destroyed- a multitude of things in
our time of residence, we must now face our
destruction
by a division of lacertilians,
Their bodies are more resistant to our
weapons (than) anything we can create.
We are now doomed to extinction
And, we surely deserve it.
Deluded arrogance, Mistreatment, of our worl
Will lead to certain death,
Please forgive - our human race.
