Psycroptic – The Pulse Of Annihilation
Psycroptic – The Pulse Of Annihilation
Metal Blade Records
17.07.2026
Review by Oli Gonzalez
8.5/10
Australian tech-death metallers Psycroptic return with their Metal Blade Records debut, “The Pulse Of Annihilation”. Here, Kreator meets Necrophagist, Origin meets Beyond Creation. The mind-boggling technicality is consistently underlined by slices of blistering death metal and healthy servings of route-one thrash metal riffage. The final result is one that constantly challenges, proving to be elusive and at times almost impossible to predict where it’s going next. The pacing of the album is exquisite, with each song flowing majestically into the next. There’s time for the skull-crushing brutality and razor-sharp edges, yet there are opportunities for the album to breathe through more ambient, slower segments (relatively speaking), as well as the more aesthetically pleasing melodic hooks. Yet despite this seemingly chaotic melting pot of sounds and genres, each feels logical and all of the greater plan and masterpiece carved together by chief songwriter Joe Haley.
Though throughout this chaos, there are constants. The dual vocal assault we witness is something seldom seem in the world of metal. Usually, vocal duties are held by one person, or split between two other instrumentalists. Here, both Jason Keyser and Jason Peppiatt dedicate their voices without other distractions, with the end result being something quite remarkable! Whether it’s the fierce mid-grange growls or the lower guttural tones, all retain clarity and diction without losing any ounce of ferocity. Given the crazy time signatures, it would be nigh on impossible for any instrumentalist to also hold down vocal duties. Hence both Jasons are given free rein to dedicate themselves to this task, and both excel!
The mention of time signatures offers a nice segue into another point, and a deeper dive into the topic of musicianship. Let’s be clear, Psycroptic as a whole or individually are beyond incredible musicians! Whether it’s the revoltingly technical grooves laid down by David, the consistently remarkable guitar licks and passages from Joe, the level of skill on display is remarkable. Bassist Todd refuses to be boxed into root note purgatory and maintains the complex and multifaceted heartthrob to the band. Interesting that the band only has one guitarist and bassist. Surely 2 guitars would be better, right? Right? Well, maybe not here. The addition of another would muddy up the mix and begin to overpower and obscure the rest of the magic here. Instead, the product is sharp and well-polished without the unneeded mud and noise of other instruments.
So, “The Pulse Of Annihilation” is a clear progressive death metal masterpiece as far as album pacing, production, and musicianship is concerned. What’s missing? It feels like the album is just missing one or two standout tracks. The huge blockbusters, and immediately recognisable classic. Opeth has ‘Ghost Of Perdition’, ‘Blackwater Park’; what’s Psycroptic’s huge headlining hit? Whatever it is, it may not be coming from “The Pulse Of Annihilation”. Though the album more than adds to the band’s fierce reputation and adds to the band’s impressive repertoire.
TRACKLISTING:
01. Ashes of a New Dawn
02. Gathering a Venomous Herd
03. A Sword of Me
04. No Time for the Weak
05. Our Pillars Fall
06. Annihilation Pulse
07. No Blade of Grass
08. To Embrace This Curse
09. Forging the Crown
LINKS:
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