Psycroptic - The Inherited Repression (2012)

Genre: Technical Death Metal

Release Date: February 7, 2012

1. Carriers of the Plague (6:07)

2. Forward to Submission (3:56)

3. Euphorinasia (4:54)

4. The Throne of Kings (4:04)

5. Unmasking the Traitors (3:55)

6. Become the Cult (4:11)

7. From Scribe to Ashes (3:50)

8. Deprivation (5:44)

9. The Sleepers Have Awoken (4:08)

Wow.  Psycroptic have outdone themselves once again.  Coming off their latest release, Ob(Servant) (2008), I found it difficult to conceive that this Australian tech-death quartet would release an album even better than that excellent record.  Much to my delight, I was mistaken.  Psycroptic has crafted another masterpiece.

The Inherited Repression marks the fifth full length release for Psycroptic, and in my opinion, it's their best album to date.  This is not something I'm putting lightly.  I consider Ob(Servant) among my all-time favorite albums and it's a masterpiece in its' own right.  I've spent the last two weeks alternately listening to both those records so I could figure out which one I thought was better.  The Inherited Repression wins by a hair.

One of the things I love most about technical death metal is that the genre keeps getting pushed to new extremes each and every year.  A large factor in determining this trend is the fact that the musicians who started the genre are all getting better at playing their respective instruments as time goes by.  In addition, many of these bands (Psycroptic among them) are developing a more mature sound with each new release.  On the whole, this is the most mature-sounding album Psycroptic has recorded.

Carriers of the Plague

One aspect of this album that makes it stand out from other technical death metal releases is the flow of the music.  The songs aren't just a collection of notes and complex riffs thrown together in order (many other technical acts are guilty of this type of song construction).  The drums and guitar really groove and weave together well, making each track feel more organic than contrived.

I don't want to downplay the technicality of this release, though, because the songs on here are very intricate.  Joe Haley effortlessly blends chord progressions with elaborate fills that connect his riffs together.  His legato playing style is, in my opinion, developed to its highest level yet on The Inherited Repression.

Unmasking the Traitors

This song really gives the listener a good example of Joe Haley's signature legato guitar style.

Dave Haley's drumwork is also superb and his skills are put on display well here.  What separates his playing from that of many other drummers in the genre is his variety and flow.  Haley doesn't constantly lay down blast beats and ridiculously fast double bass play (although these aspects are present at times, as they should be on a death metal record).  He alternates between a mixture of different styles instead of just blasting his kit as fast as humanly possible.  Interesting cymbal work, alternately slow and fast-paced beats, and varied tom fills can all be found throughout the record.  "From Scribe to Ashes" is a good example that highlights Dave Haley's variations:

From Scribe to Ashes

The bass is not very prominent on this record, but in the end, this doesn't detract from the quality of the release.  Cameron Grant's bass work provides a solid backdrop to some heavy and groovy riffs but isn't featured as much as some other technical death metal acts, like The Faceless or Anata.

The vocals on this record are interesting in that they bear little resemblance to Psycroptic's earlier works, such as The Isle of Disenchantment (2001) and Symbols of Failure (2006).  They aren't classic death metal vocals, but are a closer kin of modern thrash metal records.  In any case, Jason Peppiatt makes it work and delivers a great vocal performance on The Inherited Repression.

In conclusion, Psycroptic has proven their worth yet again as one of the most interesting technical death metal bands in the world.  I predict this album will be one of the best death metal records to drop in 2012 and it will certainly be blasting through my speakers for months to come.  You owe it to yourself to listen to The Inherited Repression.  What are you waiting for?!

Final Rating: 10/10

MASTERPIECE

3 Favorite Songs from the Album: Carriers of the Plague, Unmasking the Traitors, Deprivation

Honorable Mention: Every other song on the album...