Butchered

Of the two, this is the more definitive Psychomancer album- both releases are pretty far away from each other in style and execution, but ultimately, 'Butchered' is the more streamlined and catchy of the two. Psychomancer's first album was an especially weird style of technical death/thrash, with lots of little avant-garde leanings that ended up making it into a very curious and uneven release, though one which definitely had some incredible material on it. 'Butchered', on the other hand, sounds like a massively improved version of those death metal bar bands you hear at your local small metal venue- you know, the ones who are equal parts Lamb of God and Obituary and seem to perfectly straddle some invisible line between extreme metal and hard rock. 'Butchered' sounds like just about the best possible album one of those bands could create, and while it's not perfect, it's a fun item to throw in the player every once in a while to get in touch with your more bro roots.

The name of the game here is still death/thrash, but a more primitive, stripped down variety- gone are a lot of the more technical elements of the first album in favor of a style of death metal halfway between Stockholm and Chicago, and the thrash appears more as a restraining element to the death metal; there's not really any blast beats, the vocals aren't a totally full-fledged death growl, and the riffs have a bit too much Slayer in them to be derived from Cannibal Corpse. It basically sounds like a primitive style of death metal that never actually existed, something clearly derived from Celtic Frost that didn't really follow the path of Tampa or New York bands in pursuit of extremity. It replaces that with a knack for simple, traditional riffcraft and elegant songwriting which brings a rock sensibility back into death metal without compromising the album's extremity. A lot of these tracks honestly feel like rock songs dressed up like death metal, but unlike a lot of bands who attempt such a thing, Psychomancer have the songwriting chops to pull it off.

A lot of what's on this familiar is going to be familiar to any seasoned death metal listener. Primarily midpaced, drums playing thrash beats while guitars play death metal riffs seemingly derived from old Grave or something similar, and dual-layered vocals, one a hoarse, barking almost-growl, another a high, needling screech. The riffs thrive off a combination of death metal notation and a rock or punk-inspired right hand, with a lot of quick flurries of palm-muted notes giving this an almost southern feel at times. The vocals are surprisingly well implemented for this style of music; the rhythms always feel relevant, not as though they're just slapped over the top of everything, and they help to contribute to the emphasis on rhythm the band has created in their music. Frankly, none of this material is weak; even when they're just straight-up aping Slayer ('Hypothermic Demise') they're doing it better than their contemporaries. While I sort of wish there was just a hint more personality from the band here, I can't complain about good songs.

If you have to get one album by this band, this is certainly the one to acquire- it's catchy, fun, and lends itself to repeat plays like few other releases. Those who are more infatuated with technicality might find the relative simplicity of this music grating, but overall, it's a satisfying callback to Swedish death metal and American thrash that blends better than most. It's also incredibly cheap just about anywhere now, so if you find it, pick it up.