Psychomancer/Pitchfork - Split
Michigan City, Indiana’s Psychomancer return with their new release, a split cd along with Chesterton Indiana’s Pitchfork, and it is sure to please any metal head into the death/thrash genre. While it is the fifth release from Psychomancer, this split is only the first release from Pitchfork. This split brings together 2 of Indiana’s best underground bands and the only result can be absolute and total chaos. This is one cd that you have to just sit back and absorb the monstrosities that you are hearing, but chances are you’ll find yourself on your feet head banging along with each of these 7 tracks emerging from the deepest depths of death thrashing hell!
Psychomancer start things off in a chaotic fashion with slightly crunchy yet fluent riffs typical of what you would hear in this genre, but with a slight old school nod just to let you know that these guys definitely know their craft. Things are more on the death metal side as far as craft and presentation goes but there are definitely hints of thrash throughout their 4 tracks. What you are hearing is very reminiscent of what you would encounter if you took a little Lividity and mixed it with a little Incantation ("Primordial Domination" era), and added the feel and ambiance that thrash classics like Dark Angel’s "Darkness Descends" provided. It’s almost as if the band is playing off of the foundations that their predecessors laid before them adding in their own style in terms of how they play and construct their “art”. The vocals are really great here and while they may sound similar to other bands, there is an unmistakable depth and “feel” to them that I can’t quite put my finger on. It could be a production value or it could be that this man just has one hell of a set of lungs. Everything, from the music to the vocals, has just the right amount of “thickness” in the production. Everything is mixed and constructed in a manner deserving of a self-released split. You can tell that these guys put a lot of work into this release and it shows in the sheer brutality of their playing. This is some excellent work by a band that takes pride in what they do. I am very pleased with everything I have heard from this band and this release is no different. So, If you’re into the above mentioned bands as well as Malevolent Creation, Dying Fetus, Cyclone, Bloodfeast, and Monstrosity, then you’ll love the Psychomancer side of this split.
Pitchfork continue this split where Psychomancer leave off and I must say these guys will melt your fucking face off! Pitchfork are also along the lines of the death/thrash genre and add to it the ever glorious stylings of semi-raw black metal tones with a little technical ability thrown in. The first song 'Gulag' reminded be a bit of Carpathian Forest and Marduk mixed with "Soulside Journey" era Darkthrone and, dare I say, "Wolverine Blues" era Entombed. When you listen you’ll hear it. It’s in the music, the vocals, the production. These guys are all over the board here and it will totally blow your mind. There is nothing really over the top, it’s just brutal as all hell. I’m telling you, the black metal influence is really heavy with this band, but they manage to not totally cross that line and keep true to all the elements of the perspective genres. What I really like about this band is that with everything else that is going on here, they manage to throw in a slight yet noticeable American interpretation of the Swedish death metal sound that we all have grown to love. No, they don’t copy the sound, but there is something about the way they play that give it that Swedish vibe. It’s a nice little touch to top things off. Both bands do an excellent job on this split and I am honored that I had the opportunity to review it. If you are any type of metal head, you need to keep your eyes on these 2 bands. They have a lot to offer and after hearing Pitchfork for the first time, I can only imagine what they will have to offer in the future. The guys have my total and utmost respect for the mastery of their craft and the art that they created here!
Psychomancer start things off in a chaotic fashion with slightly crunchy yet fluent riffs typical of what you would hear in this genre, but with a slight old school nod just to let you know that these guys definitely know their craft. Things are more on the death metal side as far as craft and presentation goes but there are definitely hints of thrash throughout their 4 tracks. What you are hearing is very reminiscent of what you would encounter if you took a little Lividity and mixed it with a little Incantation ("Primordial Domination" era), and added the feel and ambiance that thrash classics like Dark Angel’s "Darkness Descends" provided. It’s almost as if the band is playing off of the foundations that their predecessors laid before them adding in their own style in terms of how they play and construct their “art”. The vocals are really great here and while they may sound similar to other bands, there is an unmistakable depth and “feel” to them that I can’t quite put my finger on. It could be a production value or it could be that this man just has one hell of a set of lungs. Everything, from the music to the vocals, has just the right amount of “thickness” in the production. Everything is mixed and constructed in a manner deserving of a self-released split. You can tell that these guys put a lot of work into this release and it shows in the sheer brutality of their playing. This is some excellent work by a band that takes pride in what they do. I am very pleased with everything I have heard from this band and this release is no different. So, If you’re into the above mentioned bands as well as Malevolent Creation, Dying Fetus, Cyclone, Bloodfeast, and Monstrosity, then you’ll love the Psychomancer side of this split.
Pitchfork continue this split where Psychomancer leave off and I must say these guys will melt your fucking face off! Pitchfork are also along the lines of the death/thrash genre and add to it the ever glorious stylings of semi-raw black metal tones with a little technical ability thrown in. The first song 'Gulag' reminded be a bit of Carpathian Forest and Marduk mixed with "Soulside Journey" era Darkthrone and, dare I say, "Wolverine Blues" era Entombed. When you listen you’ll hear it. It’s in the music, the vocals, the production. These guys are all over the board here and it will totally blow your mind. There is nothing really over the top, it’s just brutal as all hell. I’m telling you, the black metal influence is really heavy with this band, but they manage to not totally cross that line and keep true to all the elements of the perspective genres. What I really like about this band is that with everything else that is going on here, they manage to throw in a slight yet noticeable American interpretation of the Swedish death metal sound that we all have grown to love. No, they don’t copy the sound, but there is something about the way they play that give it that Swedish vibe. It’s a nice little touch to top things off. Both bands do an excellent job on this split and I am honored that I had the opportunity to review it. If you are any type of metal head, you need to keep your eyes on these 2 bands. They have a lot to offer and after hearing Pitchfork for the first time, I can only imagine what they will have to offer in the future. The guys have my total and utmost respect for the mastery of their craft and the art that they created here!
- Castigator
- Necroplasmic Inoculation
- Faded Scars Return To Bleed
- Cadence To Oblivion
- Gulag
- Hands Of Death
- Winter Hill
