Here is a rough copy of an exclusive interview Albert Gestal had with PSYCROPTIC guitarist Joe Hayley before a recent gig on June 7th in Sydney.
The full interview will most likely surface in underground script Black/Death Zine. Keep an eye out for it.
You seem to claim no specific 'musical alignment' to the myriad of genres and subgenres which make the 'Metal' family., yet undeniably your roots are very 'Death' metal, what makes the sound of Psycroptic stand out on its own? ...
I think the fact that most of us dont really listen to metal, or arent heavily influenced by metal these days, kind of contributes to this. Each one of us are inspired by completely different styles for example hip-hop, rock, jazz, fusion, pop, etc. Not that we try to incorporate this into our music, we just like to gain a bit of motivation from it which hopefully makes us sound a little different to other bands. Of course we all grew up on metal and thats where our roots lie, but we dont go out of our way to really sound like any bands that we hear.
1A)
would you call yourselves in the category of 'thinking person's' Death metal?
Hmm, depends whos doing the thinking really. If its us, then probably not.
2. What's Psycroptic definition of 'Technical' or progresive? (compositional arrangements,
choice of time signatures, rhythm configurations? - chordal structures, rhythmic
Well I think that anything thats hard to play could be classified as technical. I mean, we do have a lot of tempo and time changes throughout our songs but we arent going out of our way to put them in there. We just kind of jam on different riffs and ideas and just write songs based on how they sound, not how musically smart-arse were getting. We just try to use our ears and if it sounds good, we use it.
3. You appear to be moving away from the 'gore' and 'blood splattered' signature lyrics of most Death Metal tunes.
A) Do you believe the horror/gore imagery in the Death genre has become a inescapable 'cul-de-sac' for such bands whose music is dominated by horrific imagery?
B) Can Death Metal retain its artistic integrity without depending on ultra-violence or repugnant subject matter for thematic inspiration
Basically, weve never really been too interested in the horror or gore style lyrics. For starters, it kind of grosses me out and also were too nerdy for that kind of stuff. We just like to sing about were into, larger than life kind of stuff like sci-fi and fantasy. Sure theres some dark stuff in there, but we dont really want to get into the whole horror side of things just because people may think that we should because we play metal. I think that we have signature themes just the same as many other bands have made the whole horror or satanic thing their signature themes (cannibal corpse, deicide, etc).
4) Could you explain some of the imagery, themes behind your lyrics (Psycroptic's lyrics).
such as 'Alpha Breed' and 'Colour of Sleep'.
Hmm, dunno. Havent read them since they were written. Haha. I think Alpha Breed is mainly toying with the idea that mankind was created by another race for their own study. An experiment in genetics or something, and that the experiment failed so the human race is to be exterminated. Basically implying that were lab rats. But I may be wrong, that could be a different song. I have no idea what the colour of sleep is about. Seems like gibberish to me
5) Most bands when asked about their influences, will name musicians/bands/ styles...but are Psycroptics lyrics and music influenced by any books, favourite novels, even films or favourite painters, sculptors, non-musical mediums.
Well, Dave writes all the lyrics but hes generally just into the same nerdy shit like me. Shows like star trek, stargate, lost, Battlestar gallactica, futurama influence us heaps. Any movies or shows with weird aliens in them basically. Loved the wheel of time novel series, although the writer had to die before he finished it, didnt he. Prick. Im sure seinfeld and arrested development influence us a lot too, although Im not too sure how. But we watch that shit way too much anyway.
1) Do you find your current instrumental line-up gives you more musical freedom?
Yeah, definitely. Writing the music ends up being very easy with a 4 piece band like ours. Weve all known each other since high school and my brother and I obviously grew up playing together, so it makes communication very easy for us all. We know each others styles very well so we always kind of know what each other are going to bring to the table.
b) Would you consider a 2nd guitar (ist) to compliment the band's sound
or would you find it more restricting/compromising?
Hmm, probably not. There have been instances where we might feel that second guitar parts may sound cool here and there, but we are definitely a one guitar band in the end. I think that we have been doing it so long this way and are so used to playing together like this that an addition like that would probably throw us all off. Also, because of the fact that we wouldnt want to change the style and process of our writing, a second guitarist would have to do as hes told and Im too much of a pussy to tell anyone what to do. Theyll kick my arse.
2) Have you ever considered experimenting with non-rock based instruments (ie. Hate Eternal's Erik Rutan recently used a Didjeridoo on the 2005 Release: I, Monarch).
We would experiment with anything if it worked in context with the song. But we wouldnt just put instruments in a song just because we could, you know. We havent really experimented with other instruments because you need to have a fair bit of spare time while you are recording to see if it would even work, which we have never really had. Also, it would be a difficult thing for us to achieve live and could probably only be executed with the use of samples.
Why do you think
3)Metal as a a genre is the best vehicle for what you are trying to describe/express through a musical experience?
Its a genre that offers minimal constraints. There isnt any pressure financially do sound a certain way or look a certain way, and creatively the freedom is there to do anything we choose. We can do anything we like musically, we just choose to have the music a little more aggressive and intense than other styles.
4) In your words, does your approach to Metal music embodies the 'motion of feeling', would the material be just as effective if you were to play it on different intruments (say orchestra etc, acoustic instruments)
I imagine musically it would sound quite similar if it was in another style. Sure, different instruments offer different expressional avenues due to their properties, but the music would still have a similar theme. Your personally comes across in the music you create.
5) Music is by nature an 'art of imitation' - an imitation of an idea, it demands to be heard by repetition. Do you (The band) feel that the material being performed on a regular basis loses its intended meaning by constant repetition of performance (as in played night after night in a tour situation) ?
Yes and no. The listener still has the same feeling as they are hearing it on a limited basis. We as the band hear it repetitively, however each time its played it will sound and feel different different equipment, venues, sound on stage, audience, etc. These simple variations keep things very interesting for us.
6) In June you will commence a Tour of Australia and the United States, Psycroptic will be performing in a wide and diverse geographical area, visiting cities such as Detroit, Omaha, Albany, El Paso, St Louis, Portland and Chicago.
Are you looking forward to the American leg of the tour?
To say were looking forward to it is an understatement. It will be our first time there, and we are doing 34 shows, which is quite a substantial tour and will allow us to reach a lot of new people. The US market is very important in the metal genre, so its great to be able to finally get there.
7) What is Psycroptic hoping to bring to North American audiences of such varied and distinct cities?
We always try to put on the best show possible no matter if 10 or 10,000 people are there and regardless of the location. We will play to the best of our abilities each and every night like we always do so it wont really matter where we are. We just hope there are people there that will appreciate what we do.
8) Any expectations of the tour/fans/audience
To go in with expectations usually leads to disappointment so we are just happy to be finally getting there. We are very excited to not only play the shows, but to check out some new cities. From all reports the tour is very professionally run, so were sure it will be a great time.
9) Do you find being 'on the road' exciting, stimulating or just a 'hard necessary slog to keep the monster running'?
We love getting out there and touring. Its not a chore its a privilege. We dont make any money from the band, so we want to enjoy every minute we are able to tour somewhere new and meet new people. Not many people get that opportunity in life. When it is offered to you, you have to grab it and run with it.
10) You have had the privilege if supporting some of the Metal universe's 'Big Guns': Deicide, Behemoth, Kataklysm, Nile and Cannibal Corpse...any memorable moments which quickly come to mind in regard to the mentioned bands which you have shared the spotlight with?
I would say one of the most memorable moments is when Jason filled in on vocals for a few songs each night with Deicide on the last European tour we did with them. It was a very surreal experience seeing one of your band mates sing for a band that we grew up listening to.
Good luck to PSYROPTIC too who are embarking on a sizeable US package called the Summer Slaughter tour with the likes of THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, VADER, CRYPTOPSY, ABORTED plus more.... I'm sure they'll hold their own on these shows! If your in the US please check them out.
The full interview will most likely surface in underground script Black/Death Zine. Keep an eye out for it.
You seem to claim no specific 'musical alignment' to the myriad of genres and subgenres which make the 'Metal' family., yet undeniably your roots are very 'Death' metal, what makes the sound of Psycroptic stand out on its own? ...
I think the fact that most of us dont really listen to metal, or arent heavily influenced by metal these days, kind of contributes to this. Each one of us are inspired by completely different styles for example hip-hop, rock, jazz, fusion, pop, etc. Not that we try to incorporate this into our music, we just like to gain a bit of motivation from it which hopefully makes us sound a little different to other bands. Of course we all grew up on metal and thats where our roots lie, but we dont go out of our way to really sound like any bands that we hear.
1A)
would you call yourselves in the category of 'thinking person's' Death metal?
Hmm, depends whos doing the thinking really. If its us, then probably not.
2. What's Psycroptic definition of 'Technical' or progresive? (compositional arrangements,
choice of time signatures, rhythm configurations? - chordal structures, rhythmic
Well I think that anything thats hard to play could be classified as technical. I mean, we do have a lot of tempo and time changes throughout our songs but we arent going out of our way to put them in there. We just kind of jam on different riffs and ideas and just write songs based on how they sound, not how musically smart-arse were getting. We just try to use our ears and if it sounds good, we use it.
3. You appear to be moving away from the 'gore' and 'blood splattered' signature lyrics of most Death Metal tunes.
A) Do you believe the horror/gore imagery in the Death genre has become a inescapable 'cul-de-sac' for such bands whose music is dominated by horrific imagery?
B) Can Death Metal retain its artistic integrity without depending on ultra-violence or repugnant subject matter for thematic inspiration
Basically, weve never really been too interested in the horror or gore style lyrics. For starters, it kind of grosses me out and also were too nerdy for that kind of stuff. We just like to sing about were into, larger than life kind of stuff like sci-fi and fantasy. Sure theres some dark stuff in there, but we dont really want to get into the whole horror side of things just because people may think that we should because we play metal. I think that we have signature themes just the same as many other bands have made the whole horror or satanic thing their signature themes (cannibal corpse, deicide, etc).
4) Could you explain some of the imagery, themes behind your lyrics (Psycroptic's lyrics).
such as 'Alpha Breed' and 'Colour of Sleep'.
Hmm, dunno. Havent read them since they were written. Haha. I think Alpha Breed is mainly toying with the idea that mankind was created by another race for their own study. An experiment in genetics or something, and that the experiment failed so the human race is to be exterminated. Basically implying that were lab rats. But I may be wrong, that could be a different song. I have no idea what the colour of sleep is about. Seems like gibberish to me
5) Most bands when asked about their influences, will name musicians/bands/ styles...but are Psycroptics lyrics and music influenced by any books, favourite novels, even films or favourite painters, sculptors, non-musical mediums.
Well, Dave writes all the lyrics but hes generally just into the same nerdy shit like me. Shows like star trek, stargate, lost, Battlestar gallactica, futurama influence us heaps. Any movies or shows with weird aliens in them basically. Loved the wheel of time novel series, although the writer had to die before he finished it, didnt he. Prick. Im sure seinfeld and arrested development influence us a lot too, although Im not too sure how. But we watch that shit way too much anyway.
1) Do you find your current instrumental line-up gives you more musical freedom?
Yeah, definitely. Writing the music ends up being very easy with a 4 piece band like ours. Weve all known each other since high school and my brother and I obviously grew up playing together, so it makes communication very easy for us all. We know each others styles very well so we always kind of know what each other are going to bring to the table.
b) Would you consider a 2nd guitar (ist) to compliment the band's sound
or would you find it more restricting/compromising?
Hmm, probably not. There have been instances where we might feel that second guitar parts may sound cool here and there, but we are definitely a one guitar band in the end. I think that we have been doing it so long this way and are so used to playing together like this that an addition like that would probably throw us all off. Also, because of the fact that we wouldnt want to change the style and process of our writing, a second guitarist would have to do as hes told and Im too much of a pussy to tell anyone what to do. Theyll kick my arse.
2) Have you ever considered experimenting with non-rock based instruments (ie. Hate Eternal's Erik Rutan recently used a Didjeridoo on the 2005 Release: I, Monarch).
We would experiment with anything if it worked in context with the song. But we wouldnt just put instruments in a song just because we could, you know. We havent really experimented with other instruments because you need to have a fair bit of spare time while you are recording to see if it would even work, which we have never really had. Also, it would be a difficult thing for us to achieve live and could probably only be executed with the use of samples.
Why do you think
3)Metal as a a genre is the best vehicle for what you are trying to describe/express through a musical experience?
Its a genre that offers minimal constraints. There isnt any pressure financially do sound a certain way or look a certain way, and creatively the freedom is there to do anything we choose. We can do anything we like musically, we just choose to have the music a little more aggressive and intense than other styles.
4) In your words, does your approach to Metal music embodies the 'motion of feeling', would the material be just as effective if you were to play it on different intruments (say orchestra etc, acoustic instruments)
I imagine musically it would sound quite similar if it was in another style. Sure, different instruments offer different expressional avenues due to their properties, but the music would still have a similar theme. Your personally comes across in the music you create.
5) Music is by nature an 'art of imitation' - an imitation of an idea, it demands to be heard by repetition. Do you (The band) feel that the material being performed on a regular basis loses its intended meaning by constant repetition of performance (as in played night after night in a tour situation) ?
Yes and no. The listener still has the same feeling as they are hearing it on a limited basis. We as the band hear it repetitively, however each time its played it will sound and feel different different equipment, venues, sound on stage, audience, etc. These simple variations keep things very interesting for us.
6) In June you will commence a Tour of Australia and the United States, Psycroptic will be performing in a wide and diverse geographical area, visiting cities such as Detroit, Omaha, Albany, El Paso, St Louis, Portland and Chicago.
Are you looking forward to the American leg of the tour?
To say were looking forward to it is an understatement. It will be our first time there, and we are doing 34 shows, which is quite a substantial tour and will allow us to reach a lot of new people. The US market is very important in the metal genre, so its great to be able to finally get there.
7) What is Psycroptic hoping to bring to North American audiences of such varied and distinct cities?
We always try to put on the best show possible no matter if 10 or 10,000 people are there and regardless of the location. We will play to the best of our abilities each and every night like we always do so it wont really matter where we are. We just hope there are people there that will appreciate what we do.
8) Any expectations of the tour/fans/audience
To go in with expectations usually leads to disappointment so we are just happy to be finally getting there. We are very excited to not only play the shows, but to check out some new cities. From all reports the tour is very professionally run, so were sure it will be a great time.
9) Do you find being 'on the road' exciting, stimulating or just a 'hard necessary slog to keep the monster running'?
We love getting out there and touring. Its not a chore its a privilege. We dont make any money from the band, so we want to enjoy every minute we are able to tour somewhere new and meet new people. Not many people get that opportunity in life. When it is offered to you, you have to grab it and run with it.
10) You have had the privilege if supporting some of the Metal universe's 'Big Guns': Deicide, Behemoth, Kataklysm, Nile and Cannibal Corpse...any memorable moments which quickly come to mind in regard to the mentioned bands which you have shared the spotlight with?
I would say one of the most memorable moments is when Jason filled in on vocals for a few songs each night with Deicide on the last European tour we did with them. It was a very surreal experience seeing one of your band mates sing for a band that we grew up listening to.
Good luck to PSYROPTIC too who are embarking on a sizeable US package called the Summer Slaughter tour with the likes of THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, VADER, CRYPTOPSY, ABORTED plus more.... I'm sure they'll hold their own on these shows! If your in the US please check them out.
