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An Insatiable Violence: CRYPTOPSY’s Torturous Joyride into the Psyche

By capitalchaostv on June 19, 2025 • ( 0 )

On An Insatiable Violence, legendary death metal outfit Cryptopsy deliver a punishing yet poignant collection of songs that delve deep into the paradox of self-inflicted suffering that somehow brings joy. Written largely on the road, the album marks a seismic shift in the band’s creative process—one filled with late-night studio sessions on tour buses, bruising fights, and relentless self-interrogation.We communicated with vocalist Matt McGachy about how this unique process—and the album’s conceptual weight—shaped their most groove-laden and thematically sharp work to date.

Photo by Maciej Pieloch

An Insatiable Violence explores a cycle of self-inflicted suffering that paradoxically brings joy. How did that central concept shape your songwriting and arrangements on this record?

Well, for the first time ever, we wrote the majority of this record on tour. That is a bit like stepping into a torture device that brings us joy… hahaha. It was not an easy feat to step off stage and set up the studio gear in the bus to switch into writing mode. It was a task and a heavy one. But we knew that it was important so we did it, even when we did not feel like it.

Matt, you mentioned the album title came to you in a dream. How much of this album draws from the subconscious or dream states versus conscious societal critique?

The concept did come from a dream indeed. But I twisted that concept into something more palpable, so that I could bite my teeth into it. I have a toxic relationship with social media, it is something that I dislike about myself. I know that I am not the only one, so I figured it was a poignant topic to explore.

Flo, has said he developed new drumming techniques for this record. Can you elaborate on those innovations and how they impacted the overall intensity of the album?

Flo is in constant evolution, he is constantly analyzing his drumming techniques and the physicality that needs to be in place for him to accomplish them. About ten years ago he unlocked the swizzle foot technique which allowed him to play even faster double bass drums. He has crushed that old expression that you can not teach an old dog new tricks.

The album takes aim at our toxic relationship with social media. Do you view death metal as a vehicle for cultural criticism, and if so, how has that role evolved for Cryptopsy over the years?

I simply wanted to have a message. During my podcast Vox & Hops’ career, which I just put on hiatus after 7 years, I would ask vocalists what their album was about. I was always disappointed when they had nothing to say aside from that it is brutal. I have a small platform here with this band, and if I can impact 5-10 people to reevaluate their relationship with social media, then I believe that I have done a good thing.

Writing on the road during the Death to All tour is a shift from your usual process. What were the biggest creative or logistical challenges you encountered while writing in that environment?

Well, writing in a moving vehicle is not easy… it was actually horrible, we ended up fighting a lot. We had more successful writing sessions on the Carnifex tour in the fall of 2024, since we wrote on days off in hotel rooms. While the other bands were resting, we were working. It was a difficult but necessary sacrifice.

The inclusion of Martin Lacroix’s artwork is a powerful tribute. How did choosing his art influence the mood or visual storytelling of An Insatiable Violence?

We are incredibly honored to have Martin’s art on the cover. He was a wonderful human, an amazing artist and a killer vocalist. He never had the chance to put his artistic mark on a Cryptopsy release aside from None So Live. But on that release he was signing other people’s words and patterns. So this is our way of giving him the opportunity to have his artistic mark on a Cryptopsy release.

You’ve described this album as more “groovy” and tailored for a live setting. What do you feel groove offers that sheer speed or technicality can’t in a live death metal experience?

The groove elements allow the listener, and more so a non-accustomed Cryptopsy listener, something to bite their teeth into. When we are balls to wall blasting all the time, sometimes it is hard for people to comprehend what is actually going on. We strived to create a far more digestible Cryptopsy record. So we added more groove sections, more melodic moments and let passages repeat themselves longer than we have in the past for this reason.

If Cryptopsy were trapped inside the very torture machine they describe on this record—who would be the first to try to optimize its design, and who would just accept their fate and headbang through it?

I think Christian would be the one that would optimize the design, he is never satisfied and is always pushing the band for more. I would probably just sit back and let the malicious begin to slice.

An Insatiable Violence isn’t just a title—it’s a statement of intent. Brutal yet reflective, technical yet groovy, this is Cryptopsy confronting both their outer chaos and inner demons head-on. It’s a record forged in motion, refined through tension, and delivered with unrelenting purpose.

As Matt puts it: “If it makes even a handful of people think differently, it’s worth every drop of blood.”