Psy:Code

Delusion

Written by: PP on 16/03/2010 22:32:05

Ah, Danish metal. The style of metal which most of us have a love/hate relationship with; we like it because you can nearly always distinguish a Danish band from their Scandinavian peers thanks to a hollow, live-sounding production (known as the 'CB studios' production to many, though this one comes from Jacob Hansen studios) and a deadbeat stubbornness of refusing to deviate from the 'metal' into something more experimental (or trendy for that matter), but honestly, a lot of it sounds inferior to the international equivalents. Psy:Code from Copenhagen are an exception with their debut album "Delusion", and here's why.

An echoing, industrial-type soundscape that's neither colossal nor tightly confined will immediately bring to mind Fear Factory's releases from around a decade ago or so, but it doesn't take long for the listener to figure out that Psy:Code are about much more than that. There are namely equal parts melodic death metal (At The Gates style, see "No Regrets") and the aforementioned Danish metal in the mix, which makes the overall record sound sufficiently modern to set itself apart from the traditional straight forward metallers that we tend to get out of the country, but not overwhelmingly so as to scare any 'tr00 metallers' away. Although it seems many other reviewers seem not to share my enthusiasm about that fact, but hey, they're probably 30+ years old all together. What really pisses them off, I think, is that some of the vocal/guitar dynamics and melodies also reference Raunchy's brilliant "Wasteland Discotheque" from two years ago, which means lots of pop and catchy melody embedded into heavy-hitting metal (but no -core elements). For some that may be a sacrilege to metal, but throughout "Delusion", the combination of melodic yelling and growling with just the right amount of clean vocals added to the mix is really superb. See tracks like "As We Fall", "No Regrets", "Cut The Queen" and "Friend Of Teena" for good examples.

But not to worry, for the hardcore-oriented people, there are tracks such as "Fundamental State Of Mind" referencing fellow Danes Pilgrimz in many ways, though the song overall is significantly more metal than the hardcore oriented sound of the latter. So if you're into ear-bruising, heavy straight forward metal instead, there are a few tracks here for your listening pleasure as well. Perhaps the best thing about "Delusion", however, is how uniform the whole record sounds without ever sounding boring. There's a red thread - an identity in sound - that drives the whole album from start the finish, ensuring that more or less every track on the record is solid, and easily recognizable as a Psy:Code song. So although "Delusion" may feature a live-production and an ever-so hollow atmospheres, the songs are strong enough to withstand the pressure of those two factors and triumph as winners in the end. Recommended if you're into Danish metal scene.

Download: No Regrets,
For the fans of: Fear Factory, Raunchy, Pilgrimz
Listen: Myspace

Release date 01.03.2010
Mighty Music

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