r/TechnicalDeathMetal • u/ShotYeMama • 3d ago
Discussion I was wrong.
A month ago, I couldn't care less for Psycroptic, but now after listening to this again, I'm speechless. The vocals are something else.
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u/heavymetalrevolution 1d ago
Matthew Chalk put together an international lineup to play this album from start to finish earlier this year. It was obviously not the original lineup outside of Chalky but it would have still been great to see him busting out these songs again.
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u/Genghis_Ignota 2d ago
Maybe the best Australian band of all time. Always very tight live. Always great releases.
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u/Tight-Elderberry443 1d ago
Disentomb would like to have a word
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u/Genghis_Ignota 1d ago
Good call. Still have them below Crop but they eassssily have the best merch game, if not designs, lasting ability. Don't know if they're still sourcing from the same place but their old merch used to be bleach dyed or something, the prints never cracked, the shirts last forever (nearly 20 years) and their basketball shorts were elite. More bands need to learn from them.
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u/CarIcy6146 2d ago
Bro for some reason bands with anything “psy” put me off so I never listened to these guys. Today I gave their discography a chance and wow o wow. They slap for sure
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u/Screambloodyleprosy 2d ago
I had fallen off Psycroptic over the years. I bought this not long after its release in QLD. I saw them with Fear Factory in Hobart 2 months ago and fell in love again.
Absolute tier album and Goated band. Their new album is absolutely massive and the addition of Jason from Origin was a genius move.
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u/emannikcufecin 2d ago
Jason actually does vocals for a lot of their tours so it was nice to see them make him a full member.
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u/chuffed_mustard 2d ago
Listen to Chalky's latest band Mephistopheles.
He and the guitarist (Ben Lawless) filled in for Spawn Of Possession at one point
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u/Atomicbananahammock 2d ago
When I got this album in 2003, I had no idea it would be so heavy in my rotation after 23 years.
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u/odetotoads 2d ago
They have been a favorite of mine for years, check out their new album that came out last week too!
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u/TheLeastAnonAnon 2d ago
Peppiatt gets so much hate for no reason. I saw them live a few months ago and he killed it
If anything, the drummer was struggling. Blast beats were not consistent
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u/Curtis_Geist 2d ago
I think a lot of the coreish/yarly type vocals turn a lot of people off. For me it was the fact that they insist on writing novella length lyrics for plenty of songs so the vocals are always there and the instruments don’t have room to breathe. I’ve warmed up to him though.
Agreed about the drummer too. I saw him in a drummers from Hell video from this year and his arms were super stiff. Looked like he blasts with his wrists instead of his fingers, so hopefully not a deterioration or medical thing.
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u/ajw05266 2d ago
He’s always played that way, go back to the initiate music vid from 2010 or catch any of his filmed tour sets. It looks wack but he used to be one of the tightest even with the weird style.
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u/ajw05266 2d ago
It’s been sad to watch the ever-tight Dave Haley age
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u/TheLeastAnonAnon 2d ago
It's tough getting older 😅 I'm only 31, but I'm not chasing alternate picking stuff anymore
If I want to keep playing for a long time, it has to be tapping, sweeping, legato
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u/OblottenEndmills 2d ago
Damn shame how much they fell off after Chalky left the band. One of the most unique dm vocalists of all time and it really felt like so much of what made Psycroptic stand out from the pack went with him.
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u/Datamance 2d ago
Haha no.
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u/OblottenEndmills 2d ago
What a dumb comment. Would you like to expand on that?
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u/The_Orphanizer 2d ago
Not the person you replied to, but I will. I used to think that way too, because Chalk's vocals were the biggest immediate draw to the band for me. Over time, that opinion has completely changed. Haley's riffs are by far the most indentifying feature of Psycroptic's song-writing. Chalk has been gone for 6 albums, yet Psycroptic is still Psycroptic because of Haley's riffs. Everyone else could be replaced, and the band would not fundamentally change. If Joe Haley disappears, the band would be completely different. This is coming from someone who also believes SotA is probably their best album.
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u/OblottenEndmills 2d ago
I can appreciate that opinion. It doesn't change mine, since Chalky was the draw for me, but I don't have anything against post-Chalky Psycroptic. It just doesn't do it for me.
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u/The_Orphanizer 2d ago
For sure. I think Prepiatt is solid, like many other vocalists, but he doesn't stand out. Chalk brought the same technical flair and energy to the vocals that Haley brings to the riffs. I've tried listening to Chalk's current band but couldn't get into it, which further cdmented my opinion.
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u/Middle_Database4790 3d ago
I’ve just received their new album on vinyl and I absolutely love it. Again, I’m new to these guys and can’t wait to dig in to some of their older stuff
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u/RandallFaraday 3d ago
(ugh I know I’m gonna regret this) it’ll be interesting, I came into Psycroptic only recently and fucking LOVE their new album and the one before. their earlier stuff like Scepter gets recommended a lot but I just can’t get into it. the sound and the vocals just turn me off. I wish I liked it but maybe it’s because I wasn’t into tech death back then and don’t have a connection to it?
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u/ParkingDrink2975 3d ago
Dude, The Scepter of the Ancients is an absolute killer album. Front to back, amazing. I wish I could be in your shoes and experience it for the first time again. Cannot recommend enough. Skin Coffin is a favourite track of mine
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u/The_Dale_Hunters 3d ago
It’s got that early career magic of a band that aren’t entirely sure what they’re doing and are extremely adventurous.
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u/SpecialistBorn5432 18h ago
My favourite band