Apoch's Metal Review - Psycroptic: The Inherited Repression CD Review

Discography	Discography covers all information available up to day of review and is updated if future albums are reviewed.
Full-Length(s):	The Isle of Disenchantment (2001) • The Scepter of the Ancients (2003) • Symbols of Failure (2006) • Ob(Servant) (2008) The Inherited Repression (2012)
Live CD(s):	Initiation (2010)

Review

Australian Technical Death Metallers Psycroptic may have only issued four full-length albums and a live disc so far in their career, but the group is quickly becoming a well-known act through the Metal world. Admittedly, at least here in North America, their fame received a strong kick forward when they signed to Nuclear Blast Records for their 2008 release Ob(Servant). It's been about four years since that release, and Psycroptic comes back to us all with the follow-up of that album titled The Inherited Repression.

Much like any Nuclear Blast recording, the album does find itself a higher quality as far as the audio goes. Vocally, Ingerited Repression is pretty strong, having a shouting approach taken that works with the overall mood and atmospheres of the album that can show up in the songs. The music definitely sounds cleaner, allowing the bass kicks a nice click that isn't too loud or attention grabbing, but at a subtle level that you'll easily notice them amid the tighter snares and equal level cymbals that sound crisp and ring out nicely thanks to the captures slow, natural fade. The guitars have a sharper touch to them thanks to the somewhat higher pitched distortion that finds a good backing from the bass guitar, giving it a strong bite it otherwise wouldn't really have. But this better quality and distortion utilized doesn't fare too well when things slow down. Right away on "Forward to Submission," you can tell that, when things go a little slower or find a main focus on the guitar than having the bass and/or drums to help fill music, it can sound rather empty. Sadly this happens a lot, even during faster moments, though far from as bad in those cases, and the other instruments still do a good job at trying to make the music as rich as possible.

This is evident right at the start with "Carriers of the Plague." The song has a pretty lengthy introduction that isn't too bad, but it eventually gives way to some tight chords and plenty of blistering double bass kicks amid some slower offerings from the rest of the kit. Thanks to that and the heavier bass presence that keeps up well with the guitar, the track really has a thick sound, and even the slower parts sound right to the track, as if designed on purpose to sound a little on the hollow side. But one thing that becomes obvious as you go through is that not all of the songs really pride themselves on a technical sound. "Euphorinasia" has plenty of catchy moments with a decent amount of precision among the members, and overall it's a good song still that comes through rich and even has a bit of an atmosphere to it that, oddly enough, comes off a bit like a Pantera or even Lamb of God vibe, but without violating the Technical Death Metal foundation, though "Carriers of the Plague" does seem to have a bit of a lighter Hardcore section you can easily see people dancing too more than moshing. Of course, there is a subtle groove to the Death Metal being played, though in the case of the latter of the two, no Metalcore influence, but you can definitely feel a slight Southern Metal atmosphere to the tracks, which is largely found in some of the more technical chords and varying chugging patterns that do appear.

But, coincidence or not, it doesn't really make up the entire album's sound. But one thing missing is the energy, and when it kicks in for "Unmasking the Traitors," you'll wonder how you made it through the rest of the album without it. "Carriers of the Plague" and on are all still great songs, but this track in particular really offers the listener a great deal of aggression and enthusiasm that makes it stick out nicely. On top of that there is a great deal of variety throughout the song, and much of it works well, while other passages don't due to how many exist and the fact they start to feel more like the band trying to show off a bit compared to writing solid material. "From Scribe to Ashes" also just keeps hammering away at the listener, with some solid Death Metal riffs that both feel rich, and some sections a little lighter when the blistering bass kicks do become limited. Of course this doesn't mean only the end of the album has an energetic presence, as "Carriers of the Plague" does manager to incorporate a good deal of enthusiasm, just nowhere near as strong a one to make it as obvious as these two.

It's obvious at this point why Psycroptic has started building a great deal of steam as of late, as well as earned a strong following. The Inherited Repression makes for a great mixture of groove-fueled Death Metal with a nice mixture of technical chords, timing, and even drumming that doesn't often go too far out of its way to ensure an enjoyable experience. Whether it's the pulse pounding speed and energy of songs like "Unmasking the Traitors," or the slower cuts like "Forward to Submission," Psycroptic have put together an album that is hindered a bit by the higher audio quality that tends to give the music a little less kick than it should, but still manages to be a release that fans of Death Metal will still be able to just kick back and enjoy over and over again. There's no reason to turn a blind eye to The Inherited Repression if you've never taken the time to experience the band, or just didn't really have the motivation to do so. It won't necessarily kick you in the ass or get you fired up enough to want to run to the nearest living thing and start a mosh, but it's an album you soon won't want to put down.

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	Digital review copy of this release provided by: Nuclear Blast Records.

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