Psycroptic - The Pulse Of Annihilation

I think it took me about 2 years after first seeing Psycroptic live on a Devastation Across The Nation tour back in 2018, before I fully gave them their due. Out of all the bands I saw at that show, it was them and Ingested who made the strongest, most lasting impressions. Still, for whatever reason, I didn't seek out of any of their music for a while. It was one of those situations where I would see their name come up, remember how good they were, and then do absolutely nothing to follow that thought any further.

When the Covid-19 pandemic shut everything down, Psycroptic was one of the many bands actively posting on social media throughout the ordeal. They had already released As The Kingdom Drowns, and I was immediately regretting my baffling avoidance of them. The next record, 2022's Divine Council was even better, with "A Fool's Errand" and "Rend Asunder" both getting regular, near-weekly play when I'm at the gym — even to this day.

The 4-year gap between their last album and The Pulse Of Annihilation seems to have served them well. The band has always had a standout rhythm section, specifically the guitar, and it's firing on all cylinders here. This is still brutally heavy music, but the grooves and sparing melodicism tie everything together perfectly. There are some tonal similarities with past work, and there is a moment in "Our Pillars Fall" where the vocals strongly remind me of "We Were The Keepers". These are all positives, however; the songwriting is incredibly strong, and feels like a band their honing sound rather than simply rehashing past efforts.

The whole album is bangers, with a perfect running time of just under 39 minutes. This easily feels the band's best work, and a potential Album Of The Year.

PUBLISHED: 2026-07-21