Review Summary: The Inherited Repetition.
Let’s just get this out of the way shall we? No, this is not another Scepter Of The Ancients. In fact, it’s more close to a second (Ob)servant, although even that had more of an edge than this. The main problem The Inherited Repression faces is the lack of diversity. That's not to say it's a bad record; the instrumentation is solid, even impressive at times, but there’s simply not enough variety. Most of the guitar work sounds homogenous and uninspired, even to the point where the band seem to be rehashing previous efforts. A prime example: the opening riff of ‘The Throne Of Kings’ sounds eerily similar to that of the title track of their last record. As infectious as it is; the similarities are virtually immaculate.
Ever since replacing ex-vocalist Matthew Chalk in 2005, Joel Peppiatt has always been singled out as the weakest member of the band as well as an inferior replacement for Chalky, and despite his improvement from Symbols Of Failure to (Ob)servant, Peppiatt’s vocals seem have taken a step backwards in terms of quality. His low growls may have been better than his wretched attempt at high screaming, but at least the difference between the two was noticeable. Here, not only do his vocals lack feeling, but also variety; only further adding to an already repetitive sounding record.
As previously mentioned, the guitar work is fantastically technical. Hectic and fast paced, there’s no doubt that it gets the job done. The riffs aren’t particularly original sounding but are performed flawlessly thanks to Joe Haley on guitar. The introduction of ‘Deprivation’ is one of the finer guitar moments to be found throughout the album and is where Haley truly shines. The soft guitar picking slowly transitioning into a heavy riff is one of the album’s definite highlights, mostly just because it is, in all likelihood, the most distinctive moment to be found on the whole record. Dave Haley also adds to the technicality of the album with his kit. His frenetic drumming in conjunction with his brother’s guitar work make them an unstoppable force.
Overall, The Inherited Repression is a solid album, albeit lacking a certain edge to make it memorable. The best part of the album also seems to be its biggest downfall as the guitar and drum work is excellent despite the fact that most of the tracks sound similar because of it. That’s not to say that every song is bland; the opener of ‘Carries Of The Plague’ and the aforementioned ‘Deprivation’ are the two most notable songs due to their technicality and ferocity.
I think on their fifth album, Psycroptic prove that they’re a band just going through the motions. Then again, perhaps I’ve been too harsh? I wouldn’t argue against The Inherited Repression being the band’s weakest effort to date but it is still worth checking out, especially if you’re already a fan of the band or the genre. Just don’t go into it expecting a whole lot of creativity.
