tech death

Album Review: Gorod — “The Orb”

IanLeave a comment
Gorod - The Orb

I can’t say any better about Gorod than Buke (who *claims* he’s not good with written words, but we can all see that’s modesty at the very least) already did in the interview that went up very recently: there’s a huge difference between “tech death” and “technical death metal”.  Tech death does indeed imply wankery for its own sake (and this is coming from someone who is unabashedly a fan of wankery for its own sake), whereas technical death metal is grounded in the foundations of death metal.  On The Orb, Gorod ponders the meaning of both, and how to effectively split the difference to double down on what makes them so great.

Continue reading →

Album Review: Fallujah — “Empyrean”

Ian1 Comment

While Kardashev may be the first (or at least the first to put the term way out into modern parlance), they are not the only atmospheric death metal band out there, as fans of Fallujah well know.  While often classified purely as tech death, Fallujah have cultivated a sound all their own that thrives on delicate atmosphere and subtle melody as much as technical precision, as well as guitarist Scott Carstairs’ mind-bending prowess.  On Empyrean, the band lay all their cards out on the table and double down on what makes them great and unique among their peers.

Continue reading →

Album Review: Psycroptic — “Divine Council”

Ian1 Comment
Psycroptic - Divine Council

I’ve gotta admit, I had no idea that Psycroptic has been around as long as they have until I listened to Buke’s interview with drummer Dave Haley (go and listen to it, like, now).  I have listened to them before, but my introduction to them came from 2018’s As the Kingdom Drowns, and the reason I checked that album out in the first place was because the cover art was created by Mariusz Lewandowski (maaaaaaaan, RIP).  Of course, when I listened, I was blown away by the deft mix of tech and death metal, and when I saw we got the promo for Divine Council, it was a no-brainer for me to grab it.

Continue reading →

Psycroptic’s Dave Haley on new album “Divine Council” and much more!

opethbodom2 Comments

If you’re thinking Psycroptic are yet another tech death band in a sea of them, you’d be dead wrong and obviously haven’t been paying attention since 1999. They’ve always known that to be a tech death band that matters, the songs actually have to be good and catchy and deeper than just what’s on the surface. Never has this been more the case than on their eighth full length Divine Council. This is a nine track megalodon with teeth big enough to eat a continent and songs that are insanely good all based around an epic storyline with wicked good songwriting, quite possibly their best yet. Buke sat down with drummer Dave Haley to discuss the album, the band’s history, and so much more. We now bring you this conversation in its entirety so grab your beverage of choice, a seat, and enjoy. 

Continue reading →

Album Review: Greylotus — “Dawnfall”

IanLeave a comment

Ah tech death: my comfort genre.  I have kinda missed writing about tech death and I’ve been looking for a reason to pick it back up.  Maybe a weird thing to say, but we actually have quite a few on staff who appreciate tech death in all its permutations and glory, if you can believe it.  I proudly count myself among the fold.  As much as I vibe with music that is deep and emotionally affecting, sometimes I just want crazy fretboard acrobatics for their own sake and nothing more.  Fortunately, on Greylotus’ debut full-length record Dawnfall, I don’t have to choose!

Continue reading →