Having organised this interview just a matter of days ago and subsequently been treated to Australia's first copy of Psycroptic's latest offering, I had a lengthy chat with the machine known as Dave Haley earlier today regarding the past, present and future of a band who are unquestionably one of the most innovative and original to grace the extreme metal scene since its birth. Pre orders of 'Symbols Of Failure' have now shipped, and some may even have arrived. February 13th is slated as the official release date, and rest assured, once again a devastatingly intense shockwave resulting from this 40 minute offering is going to obliterate everything unfortunate enough to be in its path.
Pyro: Hey Dave, thanks for taking the time out to have a chat with me mate. I really appreciate it. Now first of all, I guess congratulations are in order for recording and releasing Psycroptic album number three. 'Symbols Of Failure'. I've been listening to it pretty much non-stop since it arrived and it's only getting better with each spin.
Dave Haley: Cool. That's an awesome sign.
Pyro: I know it's very early on [this interview was recorded 10 days prior to the official release date of 'Symbols Of Failure'] but I'm wondering, what has the reaction been from the select few that have heard 'Symbols Of Failure'?Dave Haley: Well yeah, it has only been a very small amount of people who've heard it, but the general consensus is that it's a more rounded album,. People have said it's a lot more mature sounding, it's probably got a lot more groove than previous releases, at least, that's what people have been telling us. So if that's anything to go by it should do ok.
Pyro: How do you expect most fans are going to react to the evolved sound of Psycroptic?
Dave Haley: Well, hopefully they like it but at the end of the day, we write the music to please ourselves. It's all about making us happy. If people like it that's a bonus. When we're writing songs we don't sit down and think "Ok, well we've got to put this riff in here to please these people, and do that there to please those people". It's all about making ourselves happy.
Pyro: So are you guys all happy with how it turned out?
Dave Haley: Yeah. Very happy. I mean, with every recording I've personally done, I'm never 100% satisfied but overall I think it's definitely our most mature and original work so far.
Pyro: You're about to embark on a National tour with a good 10 or 12 dates, then it's off to Europe supporting Hate Eternal. Are you looking forward to hitting the road and consistently playing shows for a couple of months?
Dave Haley: Definitely. We're all itching to get out there. We're all twiddling our thumbs and can't wait to get on the road. It's what we love doing.
Pyro: How did your first European tour [in 2004] go?
Dave Haley: That was excellent. We went out with Dismember and they pretty much took us under their wing, looked after us and made sure, above all, that we were taken care of. And for a first European tour you can't ask for more.
Pyro: What size audiences were you playing to over there?
Dave Haley: It varied a lot. Depending on what night of the week we were playing and where, it ranged from about 50 to 500.
Pyro: Have you got a favourite or most memorable Psycroptic gig locally or internationally?Dave Haley: Probably Croatia. We were in this convverted warehouse with about 500 people and the first few rows were all singing along. That was definitely my highlight.
Pyro: Although I'm aware of the reason, for the benefit of readers, can you explain how the departure of ex-vocalist Chalky came about?
Dave Haley: It was a complex and ongoing situation. He didn't want to do the European tour for reasons we thought were unfounded, so we were forced to find a replacement. When we got back things didn't get better, tensions rose and we were forced to ask him to leave. That was the only way we could see the band continuing.
Pyro: Yeah, it's a bit unfortunate.
Dave Haley: Yeah. As it is now we're stronger and closer as friends.
Pyro: Did it take Peppo long to get the lyrics down and get into the whole Psycroptic mindset?
Dave Haley: He had 2 months to get ready for Europe, and he did an awesome job. From day one he just fitted right into the band because we've been mates for years so it's just like a friend joining you on the road.
Pyro: If memory serves your Black Metal project Ruins was signed to Neurotic Records some time before Psycroptic. How was the deal between Psycroptic and Neurotic struck?
Dave Haley: I've known Ruud the label manager for quite some time, and he knew about the internal goings on in Psycroptic, and what was happening, and Unique Leader were "restructuring" if you will. We thought the best decision we could make was to look for a new home. A new lineup, new home and fresh start. Ruud gave us a great deal. It's only a small label at the moment.
Pyro: He's signed a few killer bands so I think it's really going to take off for him.
Dave Haley: Yeah. He works very hard, we thought it's better to be a big fish in a small pond.
Pyro: I've gotta say the album art looks absolutely fucking fantastic, and isn't something I expected to see gracing a Technical Death Metal release. What led to the decision to go with Par Olofsson for the art?Dave Haley: We're stoked with it. We saw some of his work with other bands, we checked out his website, then I dropped him an email and said I was really into his stuff, he listened to our music and was really into it. We got talking, sent him some lyrics and in the space of 2-3 days he came back with the front cover.
Pyro: Fuckin' hell.
Dave Haley: Hah yeah.We sent him probably half the album (lyrics wise).
Pyro: So during the creative process, he had lyrics and you were happy to let him run with it?
Dave Haley: Yep. He was the artist, so we let him do what he does. He created 3 pieces for the album.
Pyro: Is it just a coincidence that all 3 Psycroptic albums have been pretty much 40 minutes long and all have 9 tracks?
Dave Haley: Yep. Purely coincidence. We actually recorded 10 songs for the album.
Pyro: I really like the design of Psycroptic's new look website too, are you able to give an indication on when it will be complete (videos, more photos etc)?
Dave Haley: Well that was designed by a young local dude, Josh. We've got a guy from the 'states working on a fully interactive site at the moment. We're just hanging out for the new site.
Pyro: Can you take me through the process of writing and recording 'Symbols Of Failure'?
Dave Haley: Basically, the writing process is something that is always ongoing with us. We don't sit down and say "Ok we've got 2 months to write this much". We're always writing new material. Since we've finished writing 'Symbols' we're started writing new stuff. All the songs were probably finished June/July 2005, then we just rehearsed flat-out for a month after the material was done. We recorded drums in a local studio first then did the rest in Joe's home studio.
Pyro: How do the songs initially come together? Do they start with drums, or a riff or lyric etc?Dave Haley: Either drums or guitar. Me and Joe write about 90% of the material, Cam does contribute a lot of riffs here and there but not so much structure-wise. Joe and I bounce ideas off each other. He might have half a riff and I'll sing the rest of it or I might have half a drum beat and he'll suggest doing it differently. Each songs is different in the way it is written. Some come together really easy, others might take 2 years to finish.
Pyro: Being the internet nerd that I am, I've noticed everywhere I look on the net, someone is mentioning Psycroptic. On metal forums when people are asking "Who are your favourite bands?" or "What are you listening to?", Psycroptic keeps popping up. I'm very curious about the actual sales figures for 'Isle Of Disenchantment' and 'The Scepter Of The Ancients'. Do you have an exact number of units sold for each, or failing that an educated guess?
Dave Haley: 'Isle'? That was self released so every single copy sold has come out of my house. I think at last count about 3500. And 'Scepter', give or take, about 6000.
Pyro: Impressive. Who wrote the lyrics for 'Symbols Of Failure'?
Dave Haley: That was me, I wrote pretty much all of the lyrics. It was a matter of "Ok, we haven't got a lyricist now, what are we going to do?". I had a go at writing a bit and the guys really liked it so I just kept going. That's just the way it turned out.
Pyro: Is there an overall lyrical theme, or underlying idea to the album?
Dave Haley: It deals with a lot of different themes. It's quite sci-fi based, there's lots of metaphors but it's basically 9 stand-alone stories. The lyrics are definitely different to those on our first two releases.
Pyro: I noticed, as you pointed out privately a couple of days ago, that the album is a definite grower. I really liked it at first but the more I listened and the more familiar I became with the chaotic tracks the more I liked them. Do you ever worry that because of the overwhelming nature of your music that people will hear a song and instantly come to the conclusion you're nothing special and write you off without giving you a fair go?
Dave Haley: It does happen but it's not something I'm going to stay awake at night worrying about [laughter]. It doesn't bother me too much, but it is a shame some people might love the stuff but blow us off. But I'm guilty of doing that in the past. Some of my favourite albums I hated when I first heard them.
Pyro: Going back in time a little, how and when did Psycroptic form?
Dave Haley: In 1999, both Joe and I weren't happy with where we were musically. We started writing songs together for a new project and eventually asked Cam and Chalky to join. From day one we were writing material. Pretty boring start really. We just asked a couple of people we knew to join.
Pyro: Having only had one member changes, I am curious as to how well you guys get along.Dave Haley:We're always hanging out together. Quite often we'll have a jam then a barbie, then go out. We're all really close and speak to each other on a daily basis.
Pyro: How long have you been playing drums?
Dave Haley: Well I got my first drum kit when I was 13, but only seriously for about 10 years. I really stated when I was about 16.
Pyro: Do you play any other instruments?
Dave Haley: I've had a dabble with guitar but I'm not very good. I didn't pick it up too well.
Pyro: I'd love to hear your thoughts on the whole downloading MP3s thing. I noticed the album was leaked a day or two back. I'm specifically wondering if you think it has helped or hindered Psycroptic in the long run in terms of getting the name out there and also album sales?
Dave Haley: Well definitely hurt album sales. But in terms of getting the name out there, for an underground band it helps spread the name but take into consideration that underground bands don't have any money, so when you download and don't buy their albums you're hindering them. I look at it the same as taping albums (I'm really showing my age here). My theory is if you're gonna download it and burn it, fucking buy it. I mean, you don't go into a grocery store and eat a banana and not pay. I can understand people doing it to check out an album before you buy it, but if you do that and you like it, you should buy it.
Pyro: I believe you currently share two bands with your brother Joe, being Psycroptic and The Amenta. Do you think that having grown up with each other has had an impact on your style and abilities and musicians?
Dave Haley: I'd have to say yes, but I couldn't tell you any specifics. As a musician,Joe is far, far superior to me.
Pyro: That's a big call. You two are both freaks, lets leave it as that.
Dave Haley: Yeah, Joe is amazing. He plays guitar and he's a great drummer as well, and he's a very knowledgeable musician.
Pyro: Are there any bands or musicians who have really influenced you over the years?Dave Haley: Countless. Drumming wise, Gene Hoglan, Derek Roddy etc and then you've got guys like Vigil Donati, the list goes on.
Pyro: Have you ever been approached to do session drums for anyone?
Dave Haley: Yeah, well that's how The Amenta thing came about. They asked me to play on the album, and I ended up joining the band.
Pyro: Do you still feel you're improving with each passing year or that you have got anything left to learn?
Dave Haley: Yes. I try to practice most days and learn as much as I can. In some areas I'm very myopic in the fact that I'm just focusing in one thing. I want to expand my skills. There's always shit to be practiced and never enough hours in the day.
Pyro: I know Tasmania is bursting at the seams with quality metal bands (especially brutal death and slam), many of whom are yet to really get an recognition outside of the state itself. Are the any Tassie bands you would recommend readers check out?
Dave Haley: Intense Hammer Rage and Zero Degrees Freedom. There's quite a few new bands popping up too, but they're two of my favourites. They're definitely up there with the best bands coming out of Australia.
Pyro: Who are some of the bands you listen to in your spare time?
Dave Haley: I'm quite a fan of the more extreme end of the spectrum. Bands like Emperor, Immortal, Angelcorpse, Nile, Dying Fetus, Behemoth, Anal Cunt. The more extreme stuff but I'm a fan of all styles, and quite a number of other genres as well. I try to keep it varied. I'm sitting in my lounge room here looking at a Mot?rhead DVD I just bought.
Pyro: Speaking of DVDs, is a Psycroptic DVD ever going to surface?
Dave Haley: We've never really talked about it but we probably need to walk before we run first. We need to get a video clip done.
Pyro: Have you spoken to Neurotic Records about that yet?Dave Haley: No but we are planning to do one.
Pyro: For which track?
Dave Haley: We'll probably go with 'Alpha Breed', the first track off the album. At this stage I think we're going to go with that song. We're just trying to organise that now.
Pyro: Do you have a personal favourite Psycroptic song to play?
Dave Haley: It does change all the time, but at the moment 'Alpha Breed'. I really enjoy playing that.
Pyro: What about a favourite Psycroptic album?
Dave Haley: Um, 'Symbols' definitely.
Pyro: Is that feeling mutual within he band?
Dave Haley: Yes. I think you always try to write the best album you can for every album you do. I'll probably say the same thing about our next album when it's done.
Pyro: In a perfect world, how long do you think it might be until the next album is released?
Dave Haley: Hopefully we'll record it next year, and maybe release itnear the end of the year. We've already started writing and we're much more focused. Before we go to Europe we're planning to have completed at least 3 new tracks.
Pyro: You won't be testing any of those out on the live front by chance?Dave Haley: No. Not at this stage.
Pyro: If Psycroptic could tour alongside any bands of your choice, living or dead, who would they be?
Dave Haley: That's a tough one. I'd say... Metallica with the 'Master Of Puppets' lineup, that would be the ultimate. In the current state of metal, I'd love to do a full length tour with a band such as Behemoth.
Pyro: They were excellent live. Unreal.
Dave Haley: Amazing band live, as people have been saying. I think that would be the perfect tour.
Pyro: Would you ever consider releasing an EP or Single between full-length albums?
Dave Haley: We had thought of doing an EP, but then we continued writing and thought, 'Fuck it, we may as well just do a full-length". I think full-lengths are more worthwhile. One of my favourite releases is 'Despise The Sun' [by Suffocation for the unaware]. The only problem is, there's 5 songs there. If that had have been an album it would have been amazing. But, no, I don't think we'll be doing anything other than an album.
Pyro: What about a vinyl release? Is that a possibility if the label and fans were keen?
Dave Haley: Yeah. I do collect the odd vinyl myself, if there was the opportunity, for sure. The artwork on 'Symbols' would be fucking excellent. So yeah, if it's a possibility that would be great. We'll just have to wait and see.
Pyro: In a decade or two, do you honestly imagine Psycroptic will still be together and releasing new material?
Dave Haley: I don't know. I honestly don't know. That would be awesome, but you never know what will happen. We'll keep doing it as long as we love it.
Pyro: Do you consider Psycroptic you be your primary band?
Dave Haley: Oh yeah, definitely. I also do most of the organising for Psycroptic. My work hours - compared to the other guys - really allow me to take care of that stuff during the day.
Pyro: Are there any projects outside of Psycroptic, The Amenta and Ruins you're currently, or soon to be involved with?
Dave Haley: There's been talk of another one, with some friends of mine, but we'll wait and see but like all of the bands, it's purely just for fun. If it happens, it will be a lot of fun.
Pyro: Outside of your bands, what do you do with your time?
Dave Haley: Well I don't do much else, I'm so busy. That's what keeps me going. I like to read when I get the chance (both fiction and non-fiction), and hang out with friends, but not too much. I'm a bit boring.
Pyro: What are immediate and long term future plans for Psycroptic any big tours or other things planned? You've got the European and Australian tours, what happens after that?
Dave Haley: We really need to get a US tour underway, but it's just so fucking hard to get one up and running that would actually be worthwhile. We're just waiting for a tour to come up. There's talk with several bands, if one of them does come through it will be excellent, and it might happen this year. It's definitely a priority to get to the US, then after that we'll try and hit Europe again. We'll try and tour Europe twice for this album. With touring, everything is so volatile, we can't really count on things happening. So that's the plan, after Europe, try and get to the US then back to Europe again.
Pyro: Well Dave, I think I've taken up enough of your morning. Thanks for taking the time to have a chat with me.
Dave Haley: Not a worry, thanks for actually being interested.
Pyro: Always interested mate. Congratulations again on releasing the third album. I'm looking forward to seeing how everyone reacts when the pre-orders start to arrive it's and available in the shops.
Dave Haley: Yeah, it'll be interesting.
Pyro: I'll see you at the Sydney gig next month and hope to speak with you again soon. Have a good one.
Dave Haley: Cheers mate.
- Pyro
