Some bands hit cruise control after a couple of decades. Psycroptic have done the exact opposite.
With The Pulse Of Annihilation about to land via Metal Blade Records, Australia’s technical death metal heavyweights somehow sound hungrier than ever. That’s saying something for a band that’s spent more than 25 years carving out a reputation as one of the country’s most respected extreme metal exports.
When I caught up with frontman Jason, one thing became obvious pretty quickly. Behind all the insane musicianship and precision is a band that’s still having fun.
“It’s actually quite fun doing the interview thing these days,” Jason laughs. “It’s just hanging out having a chat. We spend so much time in the studio… get out and have a chat about it rather than just all work.”
That studio has become something of a secret weapon. Guitarist Joe Haley’s Crawlspace Productions means the band isn’t watching the clock every time they hit record. It gives Psycroptic the freedom to chase ideas right until the last minute.
Of course, there’s a downside.
“Sometimes it can get hard to just call things finished,” Jason admits. “I remember when Joe sent back the first rough mix… there were two songs where I thought, ‘I absolutely hate it.’ I rang Joe straight away and said, ‘Don’t get too far into these tracks, let me rewrite some parts.'”
It’s that refusal to settle that seems to define Psycroptic. Every album isn’t simply another release—it’s a snapshot of exactly where the band is at that moment.
“By the time it’s finished, we’re all stoked,” he says. “That’s the best album we could have possibly done at that point in our career.”
One of the biggest talking points surrounding The Pulse Of Annihilation is the continued collaboration with Origin vocalist Jason Keyser. Fans often imagine some complicated writing process between Australia and the United States, but Jason says it’s surprisingly straightforward.
“I recorded the whole album like I normally would, then we sent everything over to Keyser and told him to sing the whole album however he wanted. Joe just cut it all up afterwards and started playing around with what worked.”
Having a studio engineer inside the band certainly helps.
“We basically had every option imaginable.”
That collaboration has grown naturally over the years. Keyser originally filled in when Jason couldn’t make tours due to illness or family commitments before becoming a genuine creative partner.
“I’d been a fan of his work with Origin for years. He’s helped the band out so much over time, so getting him on the records just felt perfect.”
Away from Psycroptic, Jason clearly can’t sit still. Black metal projects, death metal side bands, recording sessions… if there’s heavy music involved, chances are he’s already working on it.
Unlike some veteran musicians who drift away from the music that inspired them, Jason is still a genuine fan.
“I’m still very keen on the genre. I still listen to a fuckload of metal all the time.”
That passion probably explains why Psycroptic have remained relevant while so many bands from the early 2000s have faded away. They aren’t trying to relive the past—they’re simply chasing the next great record.
And if The Pulse Of Annihilation is anything to go by, they’re nowhere near finished.
Verdict
After spending time chatting with Jason, it’s easy to understand why Psycroptic have lasted this long. There’s no ego, no pretending they’ve got everything figured out, just a group of mates who still genuinely love writing crushing music.
Twenty-five years in, that enthusiasm is still impossible to fake.
The Pulse Of Annihilation is out now via Metal Blade Records, with Psycroptic hitting Australian stages this August alongside Rivers of Nihil.
This is the gospel.
I bite crowd surfers.
Killer.
