Does anyone remember the last time a high-caliber death metal act rose from the flat soils of Indiana? How about a mediocre one? Okay… does anyone recall a shitty death metal band from this region? I’m sure that such bands exist, but Indiana isn’t exactly known as a consummate stomping grounds for all things brutal. Although I did once hear that the murder rate in Gary is pretty high…

The good people of Cursed Productions (which is also based in Indiana — I guess my ignorance is showing) apparently saw something promising when they signed Psychomancer, and I would say that their decision was a sound one. In fact, there are only a couple of problems I found with this release, the first being the packaging. What we have here is a two-panel insert with minimal liner notes, and a tray card which is used as advertising space. While this certainly seems to be on the «thin» side, I do like the cover art, which is appropriately bleak and effective in its simplicity. My second gripe is with the guitar solos; a great many of them are played by guest musicians. For all I know, these guys could be former band members. However, nothing is explained in the liner notes, so I have no choice but to knock off a few points until this is clarified.

In spite of these two minor hang-ups, things go pretty much uphill from here. One of the first things I noticed (ironically) was the quality of the aforementioned «guest» guitar solos. The most memorable of these performances is that of John Seyring, who follows up on the subtle intro to «Inferno» with a swiftly-executed lick that brings back memories of ex- (and possibly current) Testament guitarist Alex Skolnick. While we’re on this subject, allow me to mention that regular axe-slinger Brad Calkin seems to handle his duties competently (albeit with less flash), so I somehow doubt that his ability was a factor when the band opted for outside help.

As for Psychomancer’s overall performance, they maintain an impressive level of power and conviction across all six tracks. This is no easy feat when one considers their relatively slower attack, which can be loosely compared to the likes of Obituary and Jungle Rot. All parallels aside, there is plenty of evidence here that the band are doing things on their own terms. Each track ranges from five to seven minutes in length, which allows plenty of space for Psychomancer to employ multiple changes in tempo (sometimes as many as six within a single song). These shifting rhythmic schemes beckon comparison to Death during their «Spiritual Healing» era, minus the more intricate elements. My comments may suggest that this band owes much to the early 90’s Floridian death metal scene, but the strong production gives these songs a modern vibe which separates them from the heap. Contact the Cursed Productions website for ordering info.

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