Killchain Rampage Without Mercy on Debut EP ‘Psychosis’

Killchain. Photo: Shubham Anjankar

[easyreview cat1title = “Psychosis” cat1rating = 3.5 cat1detail = Self-released]

Artwork for Killchain’s debut EP ‘Psychosis’. Art: Vineet Sharma

Within two years, one could argue Mumbai death metal band Killchain has made a lot of ”˜right’ moves ”“ swaying between earning respectful nods from the underground scene in Mumbai and Bengaluru to being curated on bigger stages such as Hard Rock Café’s monthly metal nights.

They’ve even put out some pre-EP material and had a steady flow of content to keep their name out there. But after all that, it comes down to when you push play on their first ever EP, the four-track Psychosis.

Centred around a concept on an ex-military serviceman who follows his deranged thoughts, Psychosis doesn’t seem to have any refrains that stick in your head in the first few listens, but vocalist Vineet Sharma’s impassioned, grating growls do make him a commanding force. From the five-minute opener “Armed Lunacy” that hurls punishing death metal, they deploy more instrumental sections on “Mouldered,” a song that closes with a frets-on-fire guitar solo. The pace picks up on “Fallout” to reflect that feeling of outbreak, the band ”“ guitarists Aditya Mohanan and Niraj Chauhan, bassist Aashay Papnoi and drummer Yash Pathak ”“ takes slightly longer than expected to segue into the title track “Psychosis.” There’s just the standard-fare death metal lyrical anguish that punctuates the music, and perhaps the concept seems to limit the range.

The closing track launches smoldering riffwork, but the real star is Pathak, who has clearly gleaned a lot of experience over the last two decades, performing with the likes of Mumbai extreme metallers Demonic Resurrection and death metal stalwarts Exhumation, bringing his current best to Killchain. There’s no such gap in experience, skill or intensity between Pathak and the rest of Killchain, which is good.

Psychosis is unabashedly grimy and torrid, aiming for that classic death metal sound of veterans like Obituary, Bolt Thrower and Death. Even if the latter two of those pillars of death metal are now defunct, Killchain are probably taking one small but audible stomp into the vast realm with Psychosis.

Key tracks: “Mouldered,” “Fallout”

Listen to “Fallout.” Buy Psychosis here.