Sceptocrypt

The original Sceptocrypt formed on the island of Malta in 1992.

A band from the smallest European nation yet with big intentions – to forge a sound distinctively its own, an extreme metal (at a time where the tag was not yet penned to define bands cross-bordering death, doom, black metal and more) looking out of its own box (embracing non-metal styles, but without loosing its abrasive edge!), its members ardently into the 90s underground scene running Rancid Soup zine & radio show, and music scholars alike, always keen for original sounds, as inspirations and as their own.

Releasing only a demo & a rehearsal tape in its timespan to 1999, Sceptocrypt’s idea was received warmly by the leading press of the time – like Aardschock (NL), Fight Amnesia (DE), Ill Literature (USA), Koito (IT), MorticiaNumskull (NL), Dusk Woerot (Colombia), Death Bite (Lith), Fanfare (BE), Brutalism.com (NL), Eternal Darkness (USA), etc. – with worldwide reviews as

• “demo of the month”

• “one of the best demos of 1996”

• “ALL labels interested in progressive extreme metal please check in with Sceptocrypt”

• “not your everyday kind of metal”

• “a hell of a musical masterpiece”

• “one of the most brilliant demotapes I have heard in years”

• “Sceptocrypt have good solutions for their music, something that the majority of underground bands have not”

• “don’t know where to put this band in, maybe a big positive plus-point for them”

• “recommended for a zine editor with 5000 bands yet no-one sounding like Sceptocrypt”

• “such different and sophisticated music”.

There was also label interest back then. Some, like Holy Records (FR), defined Sceptocrypt as “experimental music, very well structured, unbelievable!!!”, whereas non-metal label Bliss Records (UK) opined that “death metal usually does absolutely nothing for me, but Sceptocrypt are more melodic, innovative and original than I was expecting”.

Others, in turn, were interested to hear more, so much so that Sceptocrypt self-financed and recorded a full-length !26 Hrs 72 mins …. the need to differ) in 1999.

Sadly, bad luck stroke, and Sceptocrypt disbanded later that year due to a string of adverse effects (including financial), with this CD never released or promoted to any label/zine. In fact, apart from some tracks featuring in compilations (Underground Media, Ematofagia, and Mass Metal), only few close contacts had listened to the whole !26 Hrs 72 Mins …. the need to differ) when it was recorded. But this was mended later in 2014 when it was made available for all at our Bandcamp, also to co-incide with the an attempt to revive Sceptocrypt yet again with a different sound, this time in London (where Malcolm now resides)! Not being able to complete a line-up, this was put on ice in 2015.

Despite all odds, the idea of reviving Sceptocrypt never left founding member Malcolm, and since late 2022 he started jamming some of the 2014 songs & newer ideas with different musicians. Near to 2 LPs running time of music have been composed, one of which will be shared in 2024 in the form of “The Wards Outside”. Exploring Antonin Artaud released from a mental asylum and asking if it was him or society that was going doolally, in a way we found ourselves back in a music industry that operates differently than we left it. So let’s see where this goes.In the interim, a newer song “The Unwanted Requiem” was composed, recorded & released in Nov 2023, a bit different than our usual sound, but then again, we like to surprise.