Psykosis - Mind Games ★★★★☆

THRASH METAL | APRIL 2025 BANDCAMP | METAL-ARCHIVES       FOR FANS OF: OVERKILL, ERADICATOR, MUNICIPAL WASTE

   THRASH-O-METER

★★★★★★★☆☆☆ SONGWRITING

★★★★★★★★☆☆ THEMES

★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆ LONGEVITY

★★★★★★★★☆☆ PRODUCTION

★★★★★★★★☆☆ THRASHABILITY

                     SCORE:                     

★★★★☆ BADASS SH!T

Chasing that old school Thrash Metal vibe is a balancing act for purposeful riffage and reckless joy in the circle pit!

These Irish fellas have certainly splurged on all the required ingredients to whip up a meal that makes this sophomore effort a genuine home-cooked riot. Hard riffing of Overkill mixed with all-over-the-place energy of Municipal Waste - there is undeniable power in riding the wake of familiar thunder!

Can you hear the pit callin'?

'Insanitised' starts the show with a crack of the whip: drilling riffing, gallop aplenty, and screaming vocals. At occasion your mind wanders towards Testament when its not thinking about Accept and Udo due to Grant Walsh's tone and style.

Lit by the legends

Psykosis has a take on Thrash Metal that speaks volumes about the bands' affection and dedication to our beloved genre. Mind Games might not flex any new kinds of muscles, but it carries an undeniable charm and confidence that’s hard not to like. It's not Pizza Thrash, but I'll be damned if this sh!t doesn't put a smile onto my face and make me fist my hands - and thats what its all about.

It's still mind-bottling how slick some independent releases sound these days. Each instrument is where its needed and you can blast this thing loud and it sounds better for it. The album can come across as slightly teutonic with its single-mindedness, but there's room for switches and more elaborate fun here. The shreddage is appropriately headlong and flashy, reminding occasionally sh!t Megadeth has going on - if you're not energized by this sh!t I've got some bad news: it's likely (and unfortunate) that you're prolly dead.

Mind Games sounds punchy and well-crafted, with neat production and a clear love for Thrash Metal’s golden era. While it doesn’t rewrite any rules, its themes of mental manipulation and social distortion are delivered with grit and conviction. Familiar, yes - but it hits its mark rousingly.