Psycroptic

Biography :

Psycroptic is a technical death metal band from Hobart, Australia. The band is currently signed to Nuclear Blast Records and have released four studio albums, most recently Ob(Servant), released on September 26, 2008.


History :

Psycroptic was formed in 1999 by brothers Dave (drums) and Joe (guitar) Haley who had previously been involved in a band called Disseminate, which had recorded a demo in 1998 before disbanding. Shortly afterward, the Haleys created Psycroptic with Cameron Grant on bass and vocalist Matthew Chalk, who soon after became a drummer with established local death metal act M.S.I.. With assistance from the Tasmanian Council of the Arts, the band recorded The Isle of Disenchantment that was designed only as a demo but the result impressed the band enough to release it as a proper CD. Shortly after it was released the band was invited to play shows in Melbourne and in late 2001 they featured at the annual Metal for the Brain festival in Canberra for the first time, later also appearing in 2003 and 2005.

The band recorded its second album The Scepter of the Ancients in 2003 for release through American label Unique Leader. The same year the group played its 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 ever since; Joe Haley has been the touring guitarist for Ruins since they undertook an Australian tour with Satyricon in 2006.

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 expressed reluctance to undertake the journey so his friend Jason Peppiatt from another Hobart band called Born Headless was recruited to play the shows in his stead. 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 between the band saw Chalk leave Psycroptic, and Peppiatt replace him. 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 vocal position with Swedish band Spawn of Possession since late 2009.

Psycroptic then did a handful of Australian dates with Hate Eternal before heading in to begin work on their third album, Symbols of Failure, their first for Neurotic. The release was followed by another European excursion with acts like America's Nile and another Australian tour followed, 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. The following month it was announced that Psycroptic had been signed to Nuclear Blast Records. 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. The band toured Australia with Decapitated, Origin and Misery Index in March 2010 and has since begun work on a new album.


Band Members :

Current Members :

* Jason Peppiatt - Vocals (2005–present)
* Joe Haley - Guitar (1999–present)
* Cameron Grant - Bass guitar (1999–present)
* Dave Haley - Drums (1999–present)

Former Members :

* Matthew "Chalky" Chalk - Vocals (1999–2005)


Discography :

Albums :

* Psycroptic - The Isle of Disenchantment
* Psycroptic - The Scepter of the Ancients
* Psycroptic - Symbols of Failure"
* Psycroptic - Ob(Servant)