While their early efforts are generally categorized as aggrotech, later releases incorporated a disparate set of musical and aesthetic influences, notably black metal and industrial metal. They belonged to the so-called "second wave" of American harsh ebm, along with bands such as Dawn of Ashes, Die Sektor, and Tactical Sekt.
The group went on their first hiatus at the end of 2010 due to Bellum's opiate addiction, but returned to the stage in October 2011 for a performance in New York and released their last album Order of the Shadow: Act I in 2013.
After Rotny Ford and Jon Siren quit the band in March 2014, Nero Bellum stated on his personal Facebook page that he wanted to perform one last series of concerts before putting an end to the band. Live band members Dorian Starchild (guitar), Brent Ashley (bass), and Kriz Dk (drums) joined Psyclon Nine for their final performances.
A remix for Limnus entitled The Devils Are Inside the Walls (Psyclon Nine Remix) was released in August 2014, followed by a second hiatus that lasted 8 months.
On April 13, 2015, Psyclon Nine created a new official Facebook page and announced a live performance at the L.A. Dark United Underground in Los Angeles, CA on May 2, 2015. The reformed lineup for the show featured Nero Bellum (vocals), Dorian Starchild (guitars), Ashes (guitars), and Raanen Bozzio (drums).
They went on to do a few more shows, resulting in Psyclon Nine returning as a live band. Raanen Bozzio was subsequently replaced by Anthem on electronic drums.
The band name is a malapropism of Zyklon B, the trade name of hydrogen cyanide used in the gas chambers during the holocaust. The "Nine" is used because of the number's significance in Aleister Crowley's numerological writings.
Psyclon Nine - Official Facebook
Psyclon Nine - Official Bandcamp
Psyclon Nine - Metropolis Records
Current Members:
Nero Bellum – vocals (1999–present)
Dorian Starchild – guitars (2014-present)
Ashes - guitars (2015-present)
Anthem - electronic drums (2015-present)
Past Members:
Raanen Bozzio - drums (2015-present)
Brent Ashley – bass (2014)
Kriz Dk - drums (2014)
Glitch NIX – keyboards, synth (2013–2014)
Merritt – bass (2012–2014)
Rotny Ford – guitars (2006–2007), synth (2008–2014)
Jon Siren – drums, percussion (2009–2014)
Vlixx – keyboards, synth (2009)
Abbey Nex – drums, percussion (2005–2006), bass (2007–2009)
VII – keyboards, synth (2006–2008)
Daniel Fox – drums, percussion (2007–2008)
Josef Heresy – synth (1999–2008), guitar (2006–2008)
Eric Gottesman – synth (2000–2006), bass (2004–2007)
Daniel Columbine – bass (2006)
Discography
2002 - Divine Infekt Demos (demo)
2003 - Divine Infekt
2005 - INRI
2006 - Crwn Thy Frnicatr
2009 - We the Fallen
2013 - Order of the Shadow: Act I
2014 - Use Once and Destroy (single)
2014 - [Disorder : The Shadow Sessions] (remix)
Bloodwork
Psyclon Nine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The malice sealed with a kiss of bitterness
From the mouths defiled spoiled within the lifeless populace
Poisoning by way of rapturous tongue
The exit sign dressed in blades of razor,
The trigger of a loaded gun
Sanctified through suicide
[Through bloodwork their world denied]
Pressing hard the cold steel on the warmness of flesh
Eviscerate match the wrists to your blackened, bloody knees
Bleed the disease 'til the lies are undone
The exit sign dressed in blades of razor,
The trigger of a loaded gun
Put the gun into your mouth and pull the fucking trigger
Press the blade against your throat and bleed the fucking cancer
The lyrics to Psyclon Nine's song "Bloodwork" are dark and intense, describing a world that is filled with malice and bitterness that is poisoning the populace. The exit sign is dressed in razor blades, giving a sense of danger and violence lurking around every corner. The lyrics also reference suicide and bloodwork as a way of denying the world around them, a desperate attempt to escape the darkness that surrounds them. The chorus refers to the idea that the act of shedding blood and taking one's own life is a way of purifying oneself and becoming sanctified, a twisted interpretation of religious doctrine.
The imagery that is used throughout the song serves to create a sense of discomfort and unease in the listener. The reference to pressing cold steel against warm flesh, eviscerating wrists, and bleeding disease all add to the sense of violence and desperation that is present throughout the song. The lyrics can be interpreted in a number of ways, but one reading is that they are a commentary on the nihilism and despair that can come from living in a world that is filled with darkness and malice.
Line by Line Meaning
This is the end :
Beginning of the end of someone's dark journey.
The malice sealed with a kiss of bitterness
Hatred and evilness are confirmed with a farewell kiss.
From the mouths defiled spoiled within the lifeless populace
Corrupted and decayed society is the legacy of those who speak ill of others.
Poisoning by way of rapturous tongue
Temptations can be as deadly as poison.
The exit sign dressed in blades of razor,
Freedom comes with a price and it can be sharp and lethal.
The trigger of a loaded gun
End one's life with just one simple pull of the trigger.
Sanctified through suicide
Redemption and purification achieved by taking one's own life.
Through bloodwork their world denied
End one's existence by responding with blood and none shall exist in your world anymore.
Pressing hard the cold steel on the warmness of flesh
Contrast between deathly cold and life-giving warmness.
Eviscerate match the wrists to your blackened, bloody knees
Matching the dismemberment of one's wrists with one's knees, displaying a commitment to self-inflicted violence.
Bleed the disease 'til the lies are undone
Bloodletting to the point of destroying all falsehood and rotted emotions.
Put the gun into your mouth and pull the fucking trigger
Specific, gruesome instructions on how to end a life through suicide.
Press the blade against your throat and bleed the fucking cancer
Using a blade to violently release the harmful disease and unhealthy elements from one's throat.
Contributed by Lily O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.