Hailing from Detroit, Michigan, Psychotic Poetry has carved out a niche in the Speed Thrash Metal genre with their intense and provocative style. Featuring Val Eff on vocals and keyboards, Rich Gray (well known for his work with Annihilator and Aeon Zen) on bass guitar, and Boris Balykov handling both guitars and drums, they have crafted out an excellent debut full of explosive energy and intricate musicianship, while delivering powerful messages through their music.

Released on December 22nd 2023, "The Draconian Code" is set against the backdrop of the global turmoil that began in 2020. This concept album boldly addresses the hypocrisy surrounding the lockdowns, mandates, forced vaccinations, mass-firings, arrests, and what people perceive as outright tyranny of the modern era. Spanning 40 minutes, it's a journey through deception, pain, and needless suffering, encapsulated in a profane speed/thrash soundscape filled with heart and tragedy.

The album opens with "Knew Normal", setting the tone with clean guitar and vocals, akin to something Iced Earth would do around "The Glorious Burden" era. The track escalates to a Megadeth-like intensity, blending elements from "The System Has Failed" with unique twists. Lyrically it's an openly critical view of how societies and indeed - how individuals react to major shifts and challenges with questioning the nature of authority and it's structures where truth is sourced. It also deals with themes of resilience in the face of adversity. You can find these themes in the song "The Draconian Code" that has a great chorus which reminds me of Nevermore at their best.

Val on vocals does a great job at commanding and steering the songs through his strong vocal presence and has a good ear for well thought out melodies that combine an almost punk rock vibe along with thrash metal singers like Joey Belladonna (Anthrax). The solos on the album are fantastic too and well placed like towards the end of "This Is My War!" which starts off as a nice simple dual lead before soaring against the backdrop of good melodic thrash riffs. The drums and bass are well locked in too, with some fantastic bass line runs at the end of this song too. You could point to many moments on the album that showcase Balykov's skillful guitar work and Gray's dynamic bass lines. You can feel the call to resistance in these songs like in "Invisible Enemy" while echoing the album's overarching theme of defiance against conformity and censorship. "Order Followers" could seamlessly fit into Iced Earth's "The Crucible of Man" and you wouldn't notice the difference and that’s saying something! "Before The Devil Knows You're Dead" has a great intro combined with a striking lead tone against some clean toned guitar licks and towards the end it just goes full hell for leather. "An Age Of Cowards And Lies" offers a ballad-esque reprieve, this song impresses with its solid chorus and thoughtfully placed solo, maintaining the album's intensity while adding a reflective tone.

Have a listen to the album below ->



Against the roar of feedback begins the final track "The Wrong Side Of History", a very deep and emotional epic that showcases how good melodic thrash metal can be. This album makes you think about the destiny of society with increasing authoritarianism and societal manipulation if there is discussion or action. The lyrics portray a strong and deep dissatisfaction with the state of the world and a call to stand against what the singer sees as oppressive forces. "The Wrong Side Of History" has a callback to the song "The Draconian Code" halfway through and the dual lead section after the 3:30 minute mark onwards is perfection, one of the best parts of the album. The album both musically and lyrically you can feel the fight against tyranny and the importance of standing up for individual freedoms against societal and governmental overreach.

Check 'em out on Youtube ->



"The Draconian Code" is a formidable testament to Melodic Thrash Metal, blending aggression with melody, marked by outstanding solos and cohesive instrumentation. Lyrically, it's a battle cry for freedom and individualism, reflecting on recent history and concepts like herd mentality and groupthink. Psychotic Poetry showcases their musical prowess in a fantastic fashion and confronts controversial themes head-on, deserving not only applause but encouragement.

Facebook? Check out Psychotic Poetry here!

Apple Music? Check out Psychotic Poetry here!