They formed in 1999 by brothers Dave (drums) and Joe (guitar) Haley who had previously been involved in a band called Disseminate. That group had recorded a demo in 1998 before disbanding. Shortly afterward, the Haleys created Psycroptic with Cameron Grant on bass and vocalist Matthew Chalk, who soon after became a drummer with established local death metal act M.S.I.. With assistance from the Tasmanian Council of the Arts, the band recorded 'The Isle of Disenchantment' that was designed only as a demo but the result impressed the band enough to release it as a proper CD. Shortly after it was released the band was invited to play shows in Melbourne and in late 2001 they featured at the annual Metal for the Brain festival in Canberra for the first time, later also appearing in 2003 and 2005.
The band recorded its second album 'The Scepter of the Ancients' in 2003 for release through American label Unique Leader. The same year the group played its first full Australian tour in support of American death metal band Incantation. The Haley brothers also joined Sydney-based industrial black metal band The Amenta during this period and recorded the album 'Occasus' with that group. Dave Haley also worked on an EP called "Atom and Time" with the Hobart black metal band Ruins.
The year 2004, was a breakthrough year for the band as they played a second Australian tour, this time with Deeds of Flesh and then headed to Europe for a wide-ranging tour with Swedish bands Dismember and Anata. However, Chalk expressed reluctance to undertake the journey so his friend Jason Peppiatt from another Hobart band, Born Headless, was recruited to play the shows in his stead. On returning to Australia, Psycroptic played two legs of the Metal for the Brain in Canberra and Brisbane, and a final show in their hometown of Hobart. Following this, disharmony between the band saw Chalk leave Psycroptic, and Peppiatt replace him. Since his departure from Psycroptic, Chalk has continued to play drums with M.S.I. as well as a doom band called Space Raven and act in the vocal role in a number of other groups that includes Mephistopheles, playing bass in Born Headless and several other projects.
They then did a handful of Australian dates with Hate Eternal before heading in to begin work on their third album, 'Symbols of Failure', their first for Neurotic. The album was released in 2006, and was followed by another European excursion with acts like America's Nile and another Australian tour followed, this time with Cannibal Corpse.
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Work began on the follow-up to Symbols of Failure' in early 2007 before some European shows with Deicide. Joe Haley collapsed after one show and suffered a seizure. He later recovered but the last few dates for the tour were cancelled. On 10 June Psycroptic featured at the Come Together Music Festival in Sydney. The Haley brothers seem to have since put their membership with The Amenta aside to concentrate on Psycroptic; however Dave Haley joined Blood Duster in September 2007. Both Dave and Joe are currently performing with Hobart based black metal band Ruins.
Ending
Psycroptic Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As fire cleanses the earth
The path once trodden above
Is crumbled and broken now
There's no saving grace at this moment now
Search is over what's done is done now
No forgiveness, glory days are over
Sucked dry of the will to survive
Precious moments, just waiting to die
The days got short, they fell
Into darkened skies
And the glaciers melted
The heat turned all to dust
Like plagues from the ancient times
There's no saving grace at this moment now
Search is over what's done is done now
No forgiveness, glory days are over
Nothing left now, should have listened
Sucked dry of the will to survive
Precious moment, just waiting to die
Stand still for the waking of day
Will only bring terror, death and decay
Shoul've known, should've done
All too late now, all the signs there for years
Listened way too late
Only moments till the end
Prepare yourselves time is now
Flames are rising, where is your god now
Need for control, ends it for humanity
The song "Ending" by Psycroptic is a depiction of the end of the world as we know it. The lyrics describe the signs of life fading away into worlds below as fire cleanses the earth. The path that was once trodden above is now crumbled and broken. The message suggests that there is no saving grace at this moment and there is nothing left to hold onto, as we should have listened earlier to the warnings. Humanity has been sucked dry of the will to survive, and precious moments are just waiting to die. The days have become shorter and darkness has settled into the skies. The glaciers have melted, and the heat has turned all to dust. Like the plagues from ancient times, there seems to be no escape from destruction. The message is clear - the end is near, and we should prepare for it.
The song conveys a sense of despair and hopelessness. It reminds us that we should have listened earlier to the signs that were right in front of us but ignored. Now there is no way of going back, and the end is imminent. The lyrics suggest that humanity's obsession with control has led to its ultimate destruction. The music captures the mood of the lyrics perfectly, with heavy guitar riffs and pounding drums that create a sense of impending doom.
Line by Line Meaning
The signs of life they fade into worlds below
The vibrancy and energy of life diminish and disappear into unfamiliar and lower levels of existence
As fire cleanses the earth
In the midst of environmental destruction, a fiery purification takes place
The path once trodden above
The previous ways of living and thinking have been abandoned
Is crumbled and broken now
The previously established and familiar ways of life and society have been completely destroyed
There's no saving grace at this moment now
There is no hope of redemption or salvation in the present moment
Search is over what's done is done now
The quest for a solution is over, and the consequences of actions taken cannot be undone
No forgiveness, glory days are over
There is no forgiveness for past mistakes or misdeeds, and the period of greatness is now a thing of the past
Nothing left now, should have listened
There are no remaining options or choices, and the importance of heeding warning signs and advice is now painfully clear
Sucked dry of the will to survive
The motivation and drive to continue living has been completely depleted
Precious moments, just waiting to die
Time seems to be moving slowly and without meaning, as death is imminent
The days got short, they fell
The passage of time seemed to speed up, and life became hindered and restricted
Into darkened skies
Daylight and hope became obscured by darkness and despair
And the glaciers melted
The irreversible effects of climate change became apparent
The heat turned all to dust
The environment became inhospitable and barren, with any life that remained quickly perishing
Like plagues from the ancient times
A sense of apocalyptic upheaval reminded people of the widespread destruction of historical plagues and disasters
Stand still for the waking of day
There is no longer any point in waiting for a new dawn or a better future
Will only bring terror, death and decay
The only thing that awaits in the future is horror, death, and the decay of society and life as we know it
Shoul've known, should've done
Hindsight makes it clear that people should have been more attentive and proactive
All too late now, all the signs there for years
Regrettably, it is now far too late to make necessary changes, despite warning signs being present for an extended period
Listened way too late
People failed to heed the warnings and advice, and are now paying the ultimate price
Only moments till the end
Time is running out, and the approaching end is only moments away
Prepare yourselves time is now
The final moments are upon us, and it is necessary to prepare for what is to come
Flames are rising, where is your god now
Amidst the fiery destruction, people are questioning the existence and protection of any divine being
Need for control, ends it for humanity
The pursuit of control and power ultimately brings about the end for mankind
Contributed by Bentley B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Wolf Knight
He sounds like Chuck Schuldiner of DEATH.
Trombone Man
Despite the title of this song, this is only the second track.
Youssef Yoss
Fuking lite track