Album Review: "Antinomia" by Psychotomy

Antinomia

One of my absolute favorite anime is Rurouni Kenshin.

It's the tale of an ex-Samurai in Meiji Era Japan after the Samurai class was outlawed. It doesn't follow the story line that I would personally conceive.

Akira Kurosawa could never have written this tale.

Kurosawa-sama was a teller of traditional tales in the mold of the Samurai, even when telling western inspired tales, like Throne of Blood, but I do go on don't I?

Today I'm looking at a new band from Italy, Psychotomy.

I'll be honest. It me about two or three passes on that name to figure out how to pronounce it. Formed in the heady days of 2010, Antinomia is their debut album. It was preceded by only an EP in 2012.

Psychotomy

Their patience has paid off and in my hands and ears, I have their first full length album.

The first track is an insane interview with serial killer Aileen Wournos. Her insane rantings continue on into the second track as well....before the metal begins.

They clearly wanted to set a creepiness factor on the first track and then toppled it on the second track.

Between the guttural vocals, blast beat rhythms, detuned snare drums, and 7 string guitar riffs, something else happened.

Instead of being straight blast, there's a second element that rears its head from time to time.

The guitar solos lack the straight up shred of Marty Friedman, the looseness of Kerry King, but  have the backbone of Daisy Berokwitz.

When the guitars are riffing and the drums thundering, in comes this strange guitar solo that will raise the hair on the back of your neck.

Psychotomy is a member of no scene. They are death metal, but they're not traditional death metal. When a band can step outside of the well worn box and tell a different story, but with the same themes, it becomes something of its own.

Deicide could never write this album. They are traditional death metal.

Psychotomy, they're something different.

Release: 11/20/15
Genre: Death Metal
Label:  Spew Records
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