Isolation can often result in unique outcomes. Hailing from the tiny, frosty, untamed and detached Australian state that is Tasmania, Psycroptic have become an unparalleled act in an enigmatic world wide movement commonly known as death metal. Fifteen years have passed since their formation in 1999, the band having released five critically acclaimed studio albums, all which show an organic progression along a clandestine path from which they will never stray. On the eve of their sixth full-length, though more technical and brutally intuitive than ever, the four-piece has not been afraid to get in touch with their softer side. Long known as the ‘Tasmanian devils’, they recently became the first band in the world to adopt their own Tasmanian Devil, whom they dubbed Psycro, in an attempt to help preserve the critically endangered carnivorous marsupial. Newer elements too can be expected when the new album is finally unleashed - more vocal variation, a heightened handle on instrumental melody, and an overwhelming sense that this act has truly mastered their craft. Psycroptic have toured all corners of the globe with names that need no introduction to those in the know - Cannibal Corpse, Suicide Silence, Decapitated, The Faceless, Obituary, Carcass, Nile, The Black Dahlia Murder, Origin, Kataklysm, Aborted, Despised Icon, Suffocation, Veil of Maya, Cryptopsy, Misery Index, Vader, Born of Osiris, Hate Eternal… you get the picture right? They also recently guest hosted the ABC music video program Rage, an honour reserved for only the most class Australian acts. Metal legend Max Cavalera has also been sporting the band’s merch in recent promotional photos, bringing things full circle from the days when they were influenced by Sepultura in their youth. It’s safe to say that Psycroptic’s place in the history of heavy metal is solidified, and that everything that happens from here on in is simply a bonus…

Merging brutal physical power with an unerringly precise attack, Decrepit Birth are a technical death metal band from Santa Cruz, California. The band's story begins in the mid-'90s, when vocalist Bill Robinson met guitarist Matt Sotelo, and the two discovered they shared an ambition to create truly uncompromising music. In 2001, things got serious when Robinson and Sotelo teamed up with bassist Derek Boyer and began assembling material. By 2003, the band had developed a reputation for their striking live shows, and they released their debut album, ... And Time Begins, with the three musicians joined by drummer Tim Yeung. Yeung didn't last long with the group, and in 2004 K.C. Howard became their new drummer. After extensive touring, Sotelo began writing material that gave Decrepit Birth a more melodic sound without cutting back on their ferocity. The result was their second full-length album, 2008's Diminishing Between Worlds. While Joel Horner was playing bass with the band by this time, he didn't appear on the album, with Sotelo playing bass and keyboards as well as guitar. By Decrepit Birth's standards, their next album was completed quickly, with Polarity released in 2010 by respected metal label Nuclear Blast; the Robinson/Sotelo/Horner/Howard lineup was supplemented in the studio by guitarists Dan Eggers and Ty Oliver and drummer Lee Smith. By the end of 2010, Sam Paulicelli became the group's new drummer, replacing KC Howard, and Sean Martinez took over from Horner on bass in 2013. While Decrepit Birth toured hard in support of Polarity, the group took a break after Sotelo became a father for the first time and wanted to stay home with his young son. However, he didn't stop writing new songs while on paternity leave, and with Sotelo and Martinez recording in their respective home studios and Paulicelli cutting drum tracks at a studio in Canada, Decrepit Birth returned in 2017 with the album Axis Mundi. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

The tech death band Wounds is an amalgamation of influences coming together to form a bone crushing and intricate sound. Wounds originally formed as “Wounds of Ruin’ on the outskirts of Chicago in 2006 when friends Rick Mora and Nate Burgard started writing material that would eventually evolve into the iteration of what Wounds is today. Full length coming out early 2024 on Everlasting Spew Rec

We are an instrumental progressive metal/fusion group based out of the Chicago/NWI area @ryanashedrums - drums @mmpesch - bass @jakescampini - guitar