Began as a D.I.Y. band, recording their songs with their own gear and distributed their first demos and promos, hand by hand, PSYCOREPATHS is an extreme metal/hardcore hybrid, established back in 2004. The band have released a numerous amount of demos and promos throughout the years, two full length albums and have taken part in many compilations from many different countries. Sharing the stage with many great acts such as Soulfly, Strife, Kataklysm, Tankard, Providence and many more, PSYCOREPATHS have toured heavily up until the turbulent year 2020, when they took advantage of the pandemic and put out their new crushing offering called “The Northwest Revenant”. Today, we’re looking back at their story, along with a buch of insights about the new record and PSYCOREPATHS’ special Top Records Of The Year feature!
Recorded in Music Art lab Studios Athens, engineered by Makis Molten Ice Gogas, finalized with a heavy production by W.D. Glashouwer (ex. Double Impact Productions, producer for bands like Chelsea Smile, All for Nothing, Manu Armata and many more) in The Netherlands, the feverish, grim crusher “The Northwest Revenant” is out now via Bandcamp and on CD fomat via Secret Port Records and Angry Owl Records.
PSYCOREPATHS started in Corfu Island, but re-established with a fresh line-up after the release of their first album back in 2013. “In 2014 we released a maxi-single entitled ‘Ten Winters After‘ with 2 main songs and a bonus third song, which was dedicated fully to a decade as a band.”
Recalls the band: “In 2016, we made a compilation of every single song we wrote (including some promos and unreleased songs) from 2009 to 2014. In 2017 we made a collaboration with IDIOTEQ-featured band UNDERGUST from Brasil, and in the beginning of 2019 we kicked off the first pre-productions for our forthcoming album ‘The Norhtwest Revenant’.”
Bringing an even more aggressive taste to their sound, is time, Psycorepaths comes as more groovy ear-wrenching machine, laced with even lower tuned guitars and more aggressive vocals.
“All this procedure took us at least six months behind schedule, having some setbacks with quarantine and each ones daily work.” – they continue. “The new line up hadn’t enough time to develop common way of thinking through studio practice and exchange new ideas, so everything went very slow. Despite that, for once again and believing in the project, we managed to achieve the biggest desire and complete the album.”
‘The Northwest Revenant’ marksthe band’s second full-length album and comes as a high-octane blend of extreme hardcore and metal, combined with a touch of death and even more groove metal than band’s previous albums.
“We really wanted to give something more as a band, than our previous releases, working this time a little bit differently.” – offers the band. ” Individually and as a band, at the same time. In the end, the result was exactly what we wanted it to be. Fresh sound with our all-time music elements combined all together.”
The new album contains 8 tracks, full of anger and enlightenment through pain and despair, making this release the heaviest of the band’s till now! A mix of heavy breakdowns, h8000 styled riffs along with Boston hardcore scene’s attitude and lyrics taken straight from the darkest days of one’s soul. All these feelings wrapped perfectly with the dope album cover drawn entirely by hand, from a great artist and PSYCOREPATHS‘ friend ‘Mr. Penny’ from Chula Crew.
This pandemic has affected the band’s music scene a lot. “Small clubs are in suspension, big venues are in suspension too. Some of them have closed literally for good. So the future that has to do with shows, with live audience is a bit dark for now. But as far as we now and have listened to, many bands in our local scene are still alive and kicking, many works has came to see the light of day, after the first wave of ‘Covid-19’, including ours and many more to come from fellow musicians and artists around the whole country too.”
𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑏𝑒ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑙𝑏𝑢𝑚 𝑙𝑦𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑚𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦, 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑦𝑎𝑙, 𝑖𝑛𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑒, 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑏𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑙𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑐𝑦.
Track by track commentary, by PSYCOREPATHS:
Cursing Psalms: This is an introduction to what comes next, using some samples with religious theme and a dark groovy melody accompanied it. The title has to do with the Book of Psalms of the Hebrew Bible. Plus some conspiracy stuff that has to do with religion. The song closes with another movie sample, which bridges our new work with the previous one.
Blessed: The song blessed is a confess about, how we see those “ things” working in the scene we are involved in. Many backstabs from many people we considered friends and many bad handlings made us regret some things and some decisions of the past, but we are blessed enough to have the guts to move on and escape from the rock bottom, we had been stuck for a while.
Welcome To The Northwest: Well this song is a kick for everyone who don’t believe in us. We started in the Northwest Greece, by the time all the hxc punk bands were dead in this area. So we remade a whole new hxc/metal scene from the scratch and introduced the term Extreme hxc for the first time in our Country. So this is the prove that we are still here and made wrong everyone who want us out of the game.
Show Me Your Virtue: In our 16 years of existence we have seen so many bands come and go, so many local heroes that become a trend and then disappeared. We are not like them, we never were, not even our past members, this kind of people and musicians. There are so many bands that broke up in our Country and many of them haven’t left anything behind, not only as musician s, but not even as individuals in our music movement. That’s exactly what Show Me Your Virtue lyrically stands for.
World Domination: This was the first song I wrote the lyrics, about this record. Is a massive mass up of what is going on with the world today. Sovereignty, money, power in every block and an attitude of world destruction. Hopefully someone listens to this song and understands that we are just pawns in a greater game called world domination.
Against Their Ethics: This is let’s say the most rough and emotional song at the same time in this record, talks about many personal struggles I faced , during the time we started writing the first guides of the album until we finished it. Having a brief info of my life my failures and my effort I gave to be where I am as a person an as an artist too. And continous the story of another song of ours “Keepin’ The Vows”, which featured in our previous full length album “Your Entropia Has Arrived”.
Reclaiming: Everyday routine and liabilities often makes you forget who you are. Losing a piece of yourself in a fake comfort zone and become pathetic. I never was a person like that, but for the few times I lost my part in this society/scene and fell down, I took a step back to remember who I am and ten steps forward to reclaim what is trully mine.
33 Caliburs/The Way Of Bushido: Using a sample from my favorite episode “Thunder-cutter” of one of my favorite animations as a kid introducing the last song of the album. Mixing political injustice and how through wisdom of ages, we can outreach the problems that mortal life has created for us, without our consent.
Top Records of the year, by Psycorepaths:
Voidcrawler/Deconvolution – Split
This split from these newcomers is a pure fire. Combined a little bit of 90s sound with nowdays extreme sound, bringing a very solid result to our ears heavy riffs from both bands and heavy vocalists too. (xSpirosx)
The newest Nasty album besides the signature beatdowns and vocals had an amazing production as well as lyrics and riffs that made the album a continuous punch in the face. You should definitely check it if you are a fan of extreme hardcore music. (Nick L.)
I was very surprised about this track because it’s something different from one of my favorite bands ever and it made me more excited about their upcoming album that’s going to be released on February 2021. (Bill P.)
Spitfight – Ripped To Shreds
This a reunion that really got me surprised. I used to listen to them back in 07, badass beatdown hxc from France, lyrics straight from hell, one of the best underground albums I listened to, this filthy year. (xSpirosx)
Mixing grindcore and black metal creates a great extreme atmosphere and Wake did an amazing work with Devouring Ruin. If you are fan of that essence you should definitely check it out. (Nick L.)
Intervals – Circadian (Album)
For me it’s one of their best albums, it’s so unique and as a musician I find very inspiring. (Bill P.)
The Ghost Inside – The Ghost Inside
A great album with a great essence. Punchy riffs and melodies with amazing motivational lyrics. You should definitely check it if you are fan of melodic hardcore. (Nick L.)
Terror – Sing to The Hell (EP)
Another masterpiece from Terror even if it is a 4 tracks EP. That signature Terror recipe is the best cure for the oldschool and the newschool fans. There are no words to describe that legendary band as well as Sing to the Hell EP. (Nick L.)
This is a solid release. Combined the H8000 sound with melodies and some alternate rap vocals between the verses. Reminding some good old 90s bands but with a new approach to this scene. (xSpirosx)
Bring Me The Horizon – Post Human: Survival Horror (E.P)
This album is a surprise for me, i never used to listen to this band, I was not a fan, but i have to admit that their latest work, took my interest! Metalcore combined with some nasty melodies from an outer world. A different release. (xSpirosx)
