The Summary Judgment Review:
Title: The Calculus of Evil
Artist: Psychotogen
Label: Crash Music
Release Date: 8/26/03

Rating: 3 Skulls
  • Official Website for this Artist
  • Discuss on the Metal Judgment Web Board
  • Submit/Read Reader Reviews of this Album

    • Reviewed by Requiem (4/9/04):
    Enter the world of technical death metal, a genre Psychotogen can safely call home. A style of music that is often very intense, often hard to follow and yes, very technical. Such notable acts could include Death, Cynic, and Atrocity for starters. Enter Psychotogen, a band who include (at the time of this recording) in their ranks ex-Misery Index growler Mike Harrison along with ex-Pessimist drummer Chris Pernia. Now on their second recording, the band are adept at playing their asses off, but it's questionable if the end result makes my eardrums tingle.

    Obviously having taken good notes from their peers before them, they certainly sound similar to the aforementioned acts. Something about it all seems far less enjoyable than a Death or Cynic album, telling me that these guys may need to work on their songwriting skills. Yes, times have changed and they do incorporate a smidge of the more modern dissonant sounds heard via bands like The Dillinger Escape Plan and the whole group of artists who disregard any sort of melody. Though maybe a little more melody would help guide us through the schizophrenic pathways that Psychotogen try to lead us through. The strict death metal moments, although not very memorable, are a blessing compared to when the band tries to get all eclectic on our asses. "Poison Sleep" is an acoustic piece that sounds like good musicians trying to play music they're not good at. Same goes for the end of "Lying in Wait." My advice is to keep the distortion on, boys. Things get fun though on the last track where they cover Judas Priest's "All Guns Blazing." This tells me if these boys cut down on the tech, they could be on to something.

    Honestly, Psychotogen are a halfway decent band, but I think they may be trying to get a little too advanced for their own good. I don't find much bringing me back for repeated listens, which means either I'm getting old and prefer my melody over mathematics or I just have high expectations due to those who have mastered the craft before them. Psychotogen is not Death, and I am not Charles Bukowski, so we both just have to live with that fact. I'm not sure why Mike Harrison would have left Misery Index for Psychotogen, but he's moved on again. Five skulls for being able to play their instruments much better than I. Minus two for making an album that I may never listen to again.
    3 out of 5

    [- Metal Judgment Home -]    [- Email Metal Judgment -]
    ©1999 Metal Judgment. All rights reserved.