Few bands have stared as long and unflinchingly into the abyss as Cryptopsy. From the feral chaos of None So Vile to the cold precision of their modern catalog, they’ve never merely played death metal, they’ve dissected it, mutated it, and bled it dry. Now, with An Insatiable Violence, Cryptopsy return not just to punish, but to interrogate: our rituals, our addictions and our obsession with pain and performance.
Born from a dream and fed by the nightmare that is modern life, An Insatiable Violence is as conceptually rich as it is sonically relentless. It’s a record where fame rots into infamy, and the machine we build is the very one that devours us.
In this no-holds-barred interview, we plunge headfirst into the chaos with Matt McGachy of Cryptopsy to dissect An Insatiable Violence, a concept album built on dreams, digital decay, and the brutal beauty of sonic annihilation. We dig into Cronenbergian horrors, social media as a self-made prison, riffs born on moving tour buses, and whether Matt’s beastly gutturals are just vocals or gateways to the underworld. Along the way, we explore forbidden fame, algorithmic torment, and pay tribute to the haunting artwork of the late Martin Lacroix. Strap on your protective head gear.
Think you’re just reading an interview? Think again. This one claws!
Welcome to An Insatiable Violence.
ML: “An Insatiable Violence” began with a dream. If the machine in that dream had a name, what would it be and would you let it live in your house?
Matt McGachy: It would be called The Voracious Pest, because it is always hungry and never leaves you alone. I already have two kids so I do not need anything else like that in my house haha.
ML: How do you abstract a surreal vision from a dream into cohesive lyrics and riffs?
Matt McGachy: I simply used the dream to craft the overlying concept of the album. From there I expanded the concept into individual topics.
ML: If each band member had to build their own version of the torturous machine described in the dream, whose machine would be the most diabolical?
Matt McGachy: Christian is a monster, haha. He is by far the most twisted and unsatisfied individual in the band. He is constantly pushing us to evolve and move forward.
ML: Social media is painted as a self made torture device. Do you think metal has become part of the very algorithm it used to resist?
Matt McGachy: Absolutely, artists of all genres spend way more time promoting their music on social media vs creating it and that is something that saddens me. Just imagine all the extra music that would be available to the world if we did not have to waste our time on social media promoting.
ML: If this album were turned into an actual theme park ride, what would it be called and what horrifying experience would it simulate? Bonus: what song blasts from the speakers as the ride drops?
Matt McGachy: The ride would be called “The Melogroove Machine” because this record is far more melodic and groovy than our previous releases. And “Malicious Needs” would be playing.
ML: Since you referenced Cronenberg and Videodrome, if one of your songs could physically crawl out of a TV and pull the viewer in à la Max Renn, which track would it be and what scene would play on repeat in hell’s waiting room?
Matt McGachy: It would have to be Malicious Needs, it is by far the most unnerving song on the record. There is a riff in it that we call the hangover riff. We wrote it in a moving tour bus so I guess that adds up.
ML: In “The Nimis Adoration,” the narrator dies for a digital audience mid mukbang, and the crowd still thinks it’s part of the performance. Was this written as a satire on the numbness of online voyeurism, or is it a eulogy for what we’ve lost as a species? Is the real horror the death or the audience reaction?
Matt McGachy: This is actually based upon a true story. But yes it is a reflection upon the numbness that we all experience when witnessing things on social media. Our attention spans are basically gone, we just keep scrolling and move onto the next thing.
ML: “Dead Eyes Replete“… Was this song meant to reflect the darker side of fame, especially when it starts too young?
Matt McGachy: Exactly, as a father of two young children, I cherish the fact that they have a childhood. The stresses of adulthood should not be upon young undeveloped children, it is simply too much for them. Kids need to be kids and famous kids need to have strict monitoring to ensure their childhood is protected. This is implemented on film and tv sets, but not on youtube as of yet.
ML: “Fools Last Acclaim“… Were you exploring the warped ambition behind that kind of fame, the kind we sometimes see in tragedies that should never be glorified?
Matt McGachy: That song was more so about people taking obscene risks in order to achieve fame. It is about people sacrificing everything just to get famous.
ML: “The Art of Emptiness” feels like a descent into self born from societal pressure. What was this written about? Were you exploring the impact of things like social media obsession?
Matt McGachy: This song is actually about someone who is suffering from body dysmorphia. They keep reducing their food intake in order to get more followers on social media until they can no longer physically function as a human.
ML: “Embrace the Nihility” ends on a hopeless note… Was that meant as a rejection of redemption entirely, or is there a catharsis in surrendering to that kind of existential doom?
Matt McGachy: This is an important song for the concept of the album. It is sort of a bird’s eye view of humans’ relationship with social media. The constant experience of FOMO that we all must put up with. As an example, if I see on social media that my friend gets booked on a huge tour, my first reaction is that of jealousy. But if that same friend tells me face to face the exact same thing, my first reaction would be that of pride and happiness for them. Social media created a place where we are the most important being, we are not a part of humanity. It is us vs them and that scares me.
ML: “In ‘Malicious Needs,’ the protagonist obsessively rebuilds a device designed to torment him… Are we, like this character, perfecting our own destruction under the illusion of progress?”
Matt McGachy: I believe that we are. We keep accepting this new reality. We know that the platforms are toxic yet we keep engaging on them. Until we all take a step back they will keep digging deeper into our daily lives.
ML: Writing while on tour. What’s the weirdest place a riff or lyric came to life?
Matt McGachy: Chris wrote a killer riff in a hotel room while Flo went to the bathroom haha. But I can not remember which one that is off the top of my head.
ML: How did the writing process for this album compare to your previous records? Was it a battle, a purge, or something more calculated?
Matt McGachy: 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.
ML: You’ve written about a lot of controversial subject matter throughout your career. What’s a taboo subject you still hesitate to write about and why?
Matt McGachy: I have a concept in mind for the next record. It is somewhat of a hot topic in this day and age. I am worried that by showcasing my views on the subject it would divide our fanbase. So I have to examine if this concept is worth the problems that may arise.
ML: Is there catharsis in pain, or does An Insatiable Violence suggest we’ve moved past catharsis and into full blown addiction to suffering?
Matt McGachy: I think the record is diving deep into the fact that we are too far gone. Unless we make huge changes we will continue to suffer.
ML: Do you experiment with vocal texture during the writing phase, or does the brutality evolve naturally as the lyrics come together?
Matt McGachy: There are certain riffs that demand certain tones. We do write all the patterns in the studio while recording vocals. Chris is the genius and I am his vocal puppet. I trust him 100%.
ML: Martin Lacroix’s cover art for this album is both haunting and deeply evocative. What does it mean to you and the band to have his work featured so prominently, especially knowing the legacy he left behind as both an artist and a vocalist?
Matt McGachy: As soon as we saw Martin’s painting, we knew it was the perfect one for this album. We are incredibly honoured 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.
ML: Does the art reflect a central lyric, or was it created to haunt the album’s silence rather than illustrate its sound?
Matt McGachy: We got the artwork after the album was completed. We luckily found an artwork from Martin that reflected the cold darkness that the album depicts.
ML: The vocal performances on this record are monstrous! Do you approach vocals as character work, like inhabiting different demons per track?
Matt McGachy: No, it is always a calculated delivery. I have most definitely found my stride over the past few years. I am by far the most comfortable that I have ever been vocally. We take each section line by line and bang out the vocals that way.
ML: Matt, your vocal depth reached hellish gutteral lows. Did you feel physically or emotionally altered after recording this album?
Matt McGachy: We recorded the vocals for the record right before Christmas 2024. I was seriously drained after the experience and sort of fell into a dark phase during the holidays. It took me a few weeks to bounce back.
ML: Flo Mounier is a living legend! Did he lean into groovemore deliberately, or is that just how the chaos settled?
Matt McGachy: 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.
ML: Flo’s drumming sounds like a cross between artillery fire and ritual precision. How do you track that kind of performance live takes, punch-ins, voodoo?
Matt McGachy: Flo steps into the studio with a vague idea as to what he is going to do on each section. But it is in the studio where all the transitions and fills come to life. We call them happy accidents. He has to then, when it comes time to performsongs, relearn what he did in the studio.
ML: Oli Pinard‘s bass work is a subterranean force. Bass in extreme metal sometimes gets lost in the shadows. But on An Insatiable Violence, it feels like an undercurrent dragging us further into the abyss. Were there specific moments where you fought to bring the bass forward in the mix or carve out your own sonic identity amidst the chaos?
Matt McGachy: Chris really placed the bass right up in the mix from the start. We are the longest running Cryptopsy lineup. It is important that we all have our space in the mix.
ML: There’s a surprising amount of atmosphere tucked into these riffs. Subtle dissonance, sudden slowdowns, moody harmonics. Was that a conscious decision or a natural evolution in writing?
Matt McGachy: Cryptopsy always introduces these dynamics into their song compositions. We call them Traps. Chris will write most of the riffs, Oli contributes as well of course, and then Chris and Flo will get together to create the song structure. It is at that point that the classic Cryptopsy Traps are constructed.
ML: Did the band experiment with alternate tunings or non traditional scales to create the twisted textures throughout the record?
Matt McGachy: The whole album was recorded in 432 hertz as opposed to the standard 440 hertz. Chris wanted to experiment with this and since he is the main producer we let him go forward with it.
ML: Christian Donaldson‘s production is razor-sharp. Production wise, this album hits like a freight train of violence but without collapsing into the dreaded brick wall syndrome. It breathes, it punishes, and it never lets go.What kind of sonic carnage were you aiming for going in?
Matt McGachy: It is very hard to mix Cryptopsy. Throughout the different eras fans have fallen in love with one production or another. Chris is always evolving and strives to create the cleanest production possible so that each instrument gets its place in the mix. He did allow the drums to feel more natural on this album. Not everything has to be absolutely perfect.
ML: There’s a cinematic structure to the album tension, release and recurring motifs. Did you write the album flow deliberately, or did it emerge during tracking?
Matt McGachy: That is one of those happy accidents. We actually were weary of the slower sections in the second half of the record. But once everything flowed together we realized that it was actually good for the album’s pacing.
ML: Any interesting studio experiments that ended up staying in the final mix?
Matt McGachy: There is an easter egg in each song that no one has discovered as of yet. Something that comes from the mid 90s.
ML: If this album were turned into a twisted dark comedy what horrible thing would happen to the protagonist?
Matt McGachy: It is basically a Black mirror episode, so anything is possible.
ML: What was the most difficult song to get right, musically? Which track pushed you to the brink during the writing or recording process? Was there a song that refused to cooperate?One that clawed, bit, and made you bleed before finally falling into place?
Matt McGachy: Every track was difficult because we have extremely high standards. We want the best, so every take has to be at 1000%.
ML: Be honest: which metal cliché are you secretly guilty of?
Matt McGachy: I am that Beer drinking metalhead. And I stand in the back of the room with my arms crossed at shows, since I am in pit retirement.
ML: You’ve built a career on pushing boundaries… With An Insatiable Violence, are you closing a chapter or cracking open a new hellgate entirely?
Matt McGachy: The band is in constant evolution, but we thematically are closing the chapter on the internet and social media. I have written two albums about it, and I feel like it is time to move on.
ML: Is there a goal musically or personally that the band still wants to achieve that your fans would never expect? Maybe something more emotional or vulnerable than usual?
Matt McGachy: We just write music that first and foremost inspires us. I am excited to see what the next chapter brings in the next two years.
ML: Do you ever think about how Cryptopsy will be remembered?
Matt McGachy: Cryptopsy is both a legacy band and a relevant force in 2025. We are grateful for this. The first era of the band dropped genre defining albums and that is something that we do not overlook. The work that they put in during those years has helped place us where we are today and I am personally extremely grateful for that.
ML: Do you have any last words for your fans?
Matt McGachy: I hope that you all take the time to check out the album! We are extremely proud of what we have created and are excited to hear your thoughts.
ML: Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me. Everyone at Metal Lair has been absolutely floored by the new album. It’s brutal and thought provoking. We’re honored to dive into the madness with you.
Matt McGachy: Thank you!
Read our full review of Cryptopsy’s annihilating new album An Insatiable Violence here.
Get Cryptopsy’s An Insatiable Violence Out Now on Season of Mist!
Tracklist:
1. The Nimis Adoration (4:10)
2. Until There’s Nothing Left (3:59)
3. Dead Eyes Replete (3:57)
4. Fools Last Acclaim (3:26)
5. The Art of Emptiness (4:16)
6. Our Great Deception (4:21)
7. Embrace the Nihility (3:50)
8. Malicious Needs (5:52)
Total runtime: 33:53
This fall, the band are joining brutal technical death metal pharaohs Nile on a 25-date tour of the East Coast, Midwest and Pacific Northwest. Joining them on this run are The Last Ten Seconds of Life and Cognitive.
“We are so excited to bring An Insatiable Violence to the United States. It’s a pleasure to tour amongst friends and this lineup is incredibly stacked!”, Cryptopsy says. “Our new album was written for a live setting. The songs are more brutal and grooving so that people can really latch on and bang their heads”.
Cryptopsy’s setlist for this tour will pull from the band’s latest albums while mixing in revered classics.
The Underworld Awaits Tour USA 2025
September 12 – Raleigh, NC @ Chapel of Bones [TICKETS]
September 13 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts [TICKETS]
September 14 – Leesburg, VA @ Tally Ho [TICKETS]
September 16 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Monarch [TICKETS]
September 17 – Hampton, NH @ Wally’s [TICKETS]
September 18 – Hartford, CT @ Webster Hall [TICKETS]
September 19 – Lititz, PA @ Mickey’s Black Box [TICKETS]
September 20 – Clifton, NJ @ Dingbatz [TICKETS]
September 21 – Rochester, NY @ Montage Music Hall [TICKETS]
September 22 – Cleveland, OH @ Mercury [TICKETS]
September 24 – Detroit, MI @ Sanctuary [TICKETS]
September 25 – Hobart, IN @ Hobart Art Theatre [TICKETS]
September 26 – Madison, WI @ The Annex [TICKETS]
September 27 – Minneapolis, MN @ Studio B Skyway [TICKETS]
September 28 – Belvidere, IL @ Apollo Theater [TICKETS]
September 29 – Sioux Falls, SD @ Bigs Bar [TICKETS]
October 1 – Billings, MT @ Pub Station [TICKETS]
October 3 – Seattle, WA @ El Corazon [TICKETS]
October 4 – Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory [TICKETS]
October 5 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory [TICKETS]
October 6 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge [TICKETS]
October 7 – Denver, CO @ Oriental Theater [TICKETS]
October 9 – Des Moines, IA @ Wooly’s* [TICKETS]
October 10 – Chicago, IL @ Reggie’s* [TICKETS]
October 11 – Indianapolis, IN @ Hi-Fi Annex* [TICKETS]
*Nile, Cryptopsy and Cognitive only
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