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Psycroptic

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Psycroptic
Psycroptic - Music Hall, Geiselwind (2012)
Background information
OriginHobart, Tasmania, Australia
GenresTechnical death metal
Years active1999 (1999)–present
LabelsUnique Leader, Neurotic, Willowtip, Nuclear Blast, Stomp Entertainment, Prosthetic
MembersTodd Stern
Dave Haley
Joe Haley
Jason Peppiatt
Past membersMatthew Chalk
Cameron Grant
Websitepsycroptic.com

Psycroptic are an Australian technical death metal band formed in Hobart, Australia in 1999. Mainstay members are Dave Haley on drums and his brother Joe Haley on guitar. Their lead vocalist, Jason Peppiatt, joined in 2004. In 2008 they signed to Nuclear Blast. As of August 2022, the band have released eight studio albums. They have undertaken Australian national tours supporting international acts, Incantation, Decapitated, Origin and Misery Index. Psycroptic have also toured Europe with Nile and with Deicide. In February 2019, the band started a co-headlining tour alongside Aversions Crown and support bands Within Destruction, Hadal Maw and Hollow World across Europe. They also headlined a 2019 tour in the United States in support of their album As the Kingdom Drowns.

History

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Founding, The Isle of Disenchantment, and The Scepter of the Ancients (1999-2004)

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Psycroptic were formed in Hobart in early 1999 by brothers Dave (drums) and Joe (guitar) Haley. Both were members of Disseminate,[1] which had recorded a demo in 1998 before disbanding. The Haleys were joined by Cameron Grant on bass and (ex-Magoria) and Matthew Chalk on vocals (ex-Hemlock),[1] who soon after became a drummer with established local death metal act M.S.I. The band's name, Psycroptic, was randomly devised by Chalk's friend and has no particular meaning.[1] With assistance from the Tasmanian Council of the Arts, the band recorded The Isle of Disenchantment in October 2000, initially as a demo, but they issued it as a studio album.[2] Shortly after it was released in January 2001 the band was invited to play shows in Melbourne. In late 2001 they featured at the annual Metal for the Brain festival in Canberra for the first time, later appearing in 2003 and 2005.

The band recorded its second album The Scepter of the Ancients in 2003 for release through United States label Unique Leader. They played their first full Australian tour in support of American death metal band Incantation. The Haley brothers also joined Sydney-based industrial death metal band The Amenta during this period and recorded the album Ocassus with that group. Dave Haley also recorded an EP called Atom and Time with Ruins, a Hobart black metal band formed by Alex Pope in 2000. He has been a member of this band since; Joe Haley has been the touring guitarist for Ruins since they undertook a national tour with Satyricon in 2006.[3]

Symbols of Failure and Ob(Servant) (2004-2011)

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2004 was a breakthrough year for the band as they played a second Australian tour, this time with Deeds of Flesh and then headed to Europe for a wide-ranging tour with Swedish bands Dismember and Anata. However, Chalk was reluctant to tour so his friend Jason Peppiatt (ex-Born Headless) was recruited to sing vocals. On returning to Australia, Psycroptic played two legs of the Metal for the Brain in Canberra and Brisbane, and a final show in their hometown of Hobart. Following this, disharmony within the band saw Chalk leave Psycroptic, and Peppiatt replace him permanently.[4] Since his departure from Psycroptic, Chalk has continued to play drums with M.S.I. as well as a doom band called Space Raven and act in the vocal role in a number of other groups that includes Mephistopheles, playing bass in Born Headless and several other projects including the brief vocal position with Swedish band Spawn of Possession in 2009.

Psycroptic undertook a handful of Australian dates with Hate Eternal before working on their third album, Symbols of Failure (January 2006), their first for Neurotic. The release was followed by another European excursion with Nile and another Australian tour, this time with Cannibal Corpse. Work began on the follow-up to Symbols of Failure in early 2007 before some European shows with Deicide. Joe Haley collapsed after one show and suffered a seizure. He later recovered but the last few dates for the tour were cancelled. On 10 June Psycroptic featured at the Come Together Music Festival in Sydney. The Haley brothers seem to have since put their membership with The Amenta aside to concentrate on Psycroptic; however Dave Haley joined Blood Duster in September 2007.

In May 2008 Psycroptic played their first shows in New Zealand alongside Ruins.[5] The following month it was announced that Psycroptic had been signed to Nuclear Blast Records.[6] Shortly after, the band released their fourth studio album, entitled Ob(Servant) in October 2008. The live DVD Initiation was filmed in Melbourne and released in 2010.[7] The band toured Australia with Decapitated, Origin and Misery Index in March 2010.

The Inherited Repression and Psycroptic (2012-2017)

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Psycroptic issued their fifth album, The Inherited Repression in February 2012.[8]

In November 2012, Psycroptic guitarist Joe Haley released a guitar tablature book for the album The Inherited Repression.[9] Joe followed this up a year later with the release of a guitar tablature book for the album "Ob(Servant)" in October 2013.

In November 2014, Psycroptic announced via Facebook that they had signed to Prosthetic Records. The subsequent self-titled Psycroptic album was released in March 2015. They also launched a charity outreach linked to purchasing their new single, "Echoes to Come", with the proceeds distributed to saving Tasmanian devils from extinction.

As the Kingdom Drowns and Divine Council (2018-present)

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As the Kingdom Drowns, Psycroptic's seventh album, was released in November 2018, with "We Were the Keepers" as the lead single.[10]

The band's eighth album, Divine Council, was released on August 5, 2022.[11]

Psycroptic's 2024 tour commenced on August 16th 2024 in Frankston, Victoria.[12]

Current members

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  • Jason Peppiatt – vocals (2005–present)
  • Joe Haley – guitar (1999–present)
  • Todd Stern – bass guitar (2015–present)
  • Dave Haley – drums (1999–present)

Former members

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  • Matthew "Chalky" Chalk – vocals (1999–2005)
  • Cameron Grant – bass guitar (1999–2015)

Live members

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  • Zdeněk "GTboy" Šimeček – vocals (2010 North American tour[13])
  • Samuel Guy – bass guitar
  • Jason Keyser – vocals (Tech Trek Europe 2023)


Timeline

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Discography

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Wolf, Burt (5 April 2002). "Psycroptic Interview". Treats from the Underground. Beowolf Productions. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
  2. ^ "Interview with Dave Haley". Loud! Online. geocities.com. January 2001. Archived from the original on 11 February 2008. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
  3. ^ "Ruins on the Australian Metal Guide". Australian Metal Guide. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
  4. ^ "Interview with Drummer Dave Haley". Pyromusic.net. Archived from the original on 10 March 2007.
  5. ^ "May 2008 New Zealand shows". nzmetal.com. Archived from the original on 16 May 2006.
  6. ^ "Psycroptic Signs with Nuclear Blast Records". Blabbermouth.net. 20 June 2008. Archived from the original on 21 June 2008. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
  7. ^ "Psycroptic to film live DVD in Melbourne, Australia". Archived from the original on 23 July 2011.
  8. ^ "Psycroptic - New Album Details". Metal Storm. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
  9. ^ "Psycroptic The Inherited Repression Tab Book - Europeband". Archived from the original on 13 February 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  10. ^ Psycroptic - As The Kingdom Drowns, retrieved 16 July 2022
  11. ^ Brown, Paul 'Browny' (20 May 2022). "Psycroptic Announce 8th Studio Album "Divine Council" with New Song 'Rend Asunder'". Wall Of Sound. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  12. ^ "Psycroptic Announce 2024 Australian Tour". Wall Of Sound. 20 May 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  13. ^ "Psycrotic Vocalist Forced to Sit out US Tour". Blabbermouth.net. 26 October 2010. Archived from the original on 12 September 2012. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
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