Acting in charity to raise money for Autism Queensland, a selection of some of the finest metal that Australia has to offer united at Bloodline Festival this month, featuring headliners Psycroptic and Ne Obliviscaris. Resident Aussie photographer William France attended the show to document the evening, and came back with photos from the sets of the fest’s headliners as well as The Schoenberg Automaton, Lynchmada, As Silence Breaks, and Down Royale. Check out the photos below!
90′s death metal legends Pestilence have not been laying low since their 2011 album Doctrine, which garnered mixed reviews. Despite the critical setback, the band has been touring the world since their much welcomed reformation in 2008, now on the cusp of entering the studio to record third post-disbandment record Obsideo, which will see release later this year on Candlelight Records!
I must have been asleep at the wheel for the past year, but looking over the press release for this new signing and album announcement, I missed last year’s several lineup change that finally landed the band with new drummer Dave Haley of Psycroptic and bassist George Maier. The band are no strangers to rapid and frequent lineup changes, so it’s easy to see why no big fuss was made over their fourth member change in a year’s time. Hopefully this lineup remains consistent; it’s hard to write a quality album when you can’t hold down a consistent rhythm section.
Speaking on the album, the band offered:
“PESTILENCE is very excited to announce that they have signed a recording deal with Candlelight Records. We feel that our new material is very special and innovative and that it needs the back up of a solid company like Candlelight to get it out there to the metal world. PESTILENCE is chuffed to have Dave Haley in the lineup. Dave is one of the five best extreme drummers in the world, and his talent brings PESTILENCE to new levels that couldn’t be reached otherwise. George Maier is a young and talented bass player that will turn some heads. Both guys are really down to earth and real easy going. Of course, Patrick Uterwijk is my most respectable and long-going friend and musician.”
Expect Obsideo out later this year on Candlelight Records.
- JR
Let’s celebrate with champagne
Because it’s that time of the year again
When everyone gives each other gifts
And makes end of the year lists
2012 was a great year
Many albums I did revere
But only a few I must choose
Now before more rhymes I abuse
Let’s get to the favorite albums
So take this list into your cerebellums
(Yes, I know that the cerebellum doesn’t do that, shut up!)
I’m probably preaching to the choir here, but 2012 was fucking phenomenal. It had everything a music fan could ask for in terms of new releases, and then some. Personally, this year saw me furthering my tastes into more progressive and extreme stuff (with a heavy dose of jazz on the sides), and I think I couldn’t have chosen a better time to pick up on these styles, as genres like death metal and prog enjoyed a fantastic collective output. My list reflects this to a great extent, as pretty much half of the bands found below can be dubbed as death metal in one of its many forms, and even more exhibit progressive elements to at least some extent. Anyway, since most of you are here for the goods, I won’t keep you waiting.
Gorod01. Birds Of Sulphur
02. Sailing Into The Earth
03. Elements And Spirit
04. The Axe Of God
05. 5000 At The Funeral
06. Carved In The Wind
07. Varangian Paradise
08. Tribute of Blood
2012 has been an obscenely great year for death metal in all of its many forms. Cannibal Corpse, Aborted, and Abominable Putridity are keeping things on the brutal end of the pool nice and warm (oh god what), and things are better than ever for prog and tech death; Noyan recently made the claim that Spawn of Possession‘s Incurso was the best tech death album ever. Here we are, not even a month later, and the title is already being contested by French progressive/technical death metallers Gorod. Much like the phoenix emblazoning the brilliant cover art, the band have survived crippling lineup changes and have risen from the ashes, going from dwindling uncertainty to magnum opus in record time; and like the artwork, the music held within A Perfect Absolution is just as dazzling and colorful.
Australian tech-death outfit Psycroptic have a new album coming out next week called The Inherited Repression , their fifth in a long thirteen year career. Throughout that time they’ve been fairly solid, changing only one member (vocalist Matthew Chalk making way for Jason Peppiatt about mid-way through that period), and the cohesion really shows on the new record – which I reviewed a few weeks ago and you can find through this conveniently-placed link hyar.
Don’t just take my (golden) word for it though: it’s now streaming on Guitar World! SO MANY RIFFS.
The Inherited Repression will hit stores February 10th on Nuclear Blast. We recently got to chat with one of the Haley brothers, drummer Dave, so be on the lookout for that soon!
- NT
In case you missed our review of Psycroptic‘s upcoming album The Inherited Repression, let me paraphrase: it’s awesome.
What’s that you say? Evidence?! Well, if you don’t believe me, then head over to Metalsucks who have an exclusive stream of ‘The Throne Of Kings’. Regardless of whether you like tech death or not, I strongly urge you to listen to this song. There are exactly zero bands that sound like Psycroptic, so you really should include them in your musical listening palette. I’m starting to make less sense now, so just click this link and go away.
Check out The Inherited Repression when it hits on February 7th. We have an interview with drummer Dave Haley coming up soon, so be on the lookout for that.
- NT
It’s been six years and three member changes since Swedish five-piece Spawn of Possession released the opus that is Noctambulant, and it goes without saying that it’s one of the best tech death albums out there. The wait, however, is nearly over, as they have a follow-up to that coming out soon, titled Incurso.
In the build up, they’ve posted a new song called ‘Where Angels Go Demons Follow‘! You can stream it below.
It’s understandable, as Spawn Of Possession features some tried and tested talent, including the wonderful Christian Muenzner of Obscura/ex-Necrophagist, and Matthew Chalk (ex-Psycroptic, Mephistopheles). If that isn’t an indication of the talent here, I don’t know what is.
Incurso will be out on March 13th via Relapse Records.
- NT
Psycroptic01. Carriers of The Plague
02. Forward To Submission
03. Euphorinasia
04. The Throne of Kings
05. Unmasking The Traitors
06. Become The Cult
07. From Scribe To Ashes
08. Deprivation
09. The Sleepers Have Awoken
Australia’s Psycroptic are an interesting bunch. Their sophomore album, Scepter of the Ancients, is one of the most unique and well-made tech death albums of all time. On top of that, there’s quite a bit of division among fans of the band between original vocalist Chalky, who had a frantic delivery and a huge range of (often weird) sounds, whereas their new vocalist Jason Peppiatt is more consistent but less varied. Personally, I am a fan of both in their respective songs, because most people realize that old and new Psycroptic are very different animals. Their previous album, 2008′s (Ob)Servant, borders on groove-death metal at times, even though it holds on to the techy aspect that defines the band. The Inherited Repression, for better or for worse, is a continuation of the sound on the previous record. This is not to say it’s not technical, but it’s not as hyperactive as the first few albums of the band. This is a good thing in a way, because the songs flow better, but some might take it as a drawback. Even then, it’s still more energetic than most of (Ob)Servant. Now that we got that out of the way, let’s take an actual look at the album, shall we?
Psycroptic are one of my all time favorite bands. The Australian tech-death outfit hadn’t made any new music since 2008′s (Ob)Servant, but apparently they’re working on an album titled The Inherited Repression, which is due in 2012, and they’be released a new song from the upcoming album. It’s titled ‘Carriers of the Plague’, and it’s AWESOME. Check it out!
The Inherited Repression is due out in February on Nuclear Blast.
- NT
