Our Story & Vision: 1992-99 Malta; 2014 & 2022 London
The original Sceptocrypt formed on the island of Malta in 1992.
Being from the smallest nation in Europe did not temper their intent: to forge a sound wholly theirs’. Its founding members being staunch members of the 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”.
Metal labels like Holy Records (FR) defined Sceptocrypt as “experimental music, very well structured, unbelievable!!!” whereas non-metal 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”.
All of this set the stage for Sceptocrypt to record their 1st full-length album titled !26 Hrs 72 mins …. the need to differ) in 1999. Yet, despite completing the recording process, circumstances conspired to prevent its release, with only some of its tracks teasing on compilations (Underground Media, Ematofagia, and Mass Metal), and the complete works remaining a whisper in Sceptocrypt’s inner circle. Until 2014, when it was made available for all at our Bandcamp, coinciding with the first attempted relaunch of Sceptocrypt, put on ice in 2015) due to not being able to complete a line-up.
But the idea of reviving Sceptocrypt never left founding member Malcolm, and since beginning his search for musicians of just the right kind of insane in 2022, he gradually gathered his manic menagerie and began jamming songs he had been writing in the intervening years. In late ’23, The Unwanted Requiem was released. This track understandably featured a very different sound, yet still unyieldingly unique. Early ’24 marked the release of a song that is framed around recent asylum resident Antonin Artaud, pondering whether he was the man or the mirror: The Wards Outside.
So far, these 2 new releases have been welcomed with lines like
- “the diversity is polarizing, a testament to the avant-garde/ progressive death metal route it seems like these guys are going”
- “this band really stands out alone for various reasons. They own what they play and they want to take you on their trip.”
- “Sceptocrypt add their own distinct spin to the subgenre”
- “an own musical and artistic universe! a succession of emotions! an obvious theatrical side! Quite avant-garde! Lots of creativity and originality”
Throughout 2024 & 2025, Sceptocrypt focused on getting a full line-up together. Skyler stepped in on bass (replacing Dip), Pawel joined as frontman, and Jacek materialised as our samples player. Dr Sol initially replaced Dan on drums, but due to a foot injury, he was eventually replaced by Mark.
At time of writing (09/25) the daring quintet are deep in the writing process for a full-length, aiming to deliver new sounds both live and on record (with a 3 song demo already available for press/labels)
In closing, Sceptocrypt describes its new sound as Extreme Music Research, as per this manifesto!
Extreme – driven by sonic experimentation, from over-the-top technical riffs to deliberate dissonance, complimented by time & harmonic changes that flow seamlessly, an extremity measured in the myriad of influences recalled to mould the final aural palette
Music – in a time when visual media continually compliments the music industry, we aim to present you music that evokes you with eyes closed, aiding you to see colours with your ears, where colour has no limit set by your visual spectrum, and thus extreme!
Research – we shall be free to research past effective music templates as we merge them with/as merchants to/for future sounds
Line-up 2025 :
Malcolm “Gool” Callus (founder) : guitars 1992-19, 2014 – 15, 2022 +
main vocals 2022-24, backing vocals 1992-99, 2025
Skyler : bass & programming, 2025
Pawel : main vocals & additional programming, 2025
Mark : drums, 2025
Jacek : samplers & synth, 2025
Discography :
‡ Wild Code of Reverie (debut demo ’96)
‡ Oratorio Mortem (compilation only track ’97)
‡ Poor Crows, Give ‘Em A Deal (reh. promo ’97)
‡ Amaranth so Puissant Act 1 to 4 (live recording ’97)
‡ !26 hrs 72 mins ….the need to differ) (unreleased CD ’99)
‡ Oratorio Mortem 2 : The Unwanted Requiem (single 2023)
‡ The Wards Outside (single 2024)
[email protected] to interview/ review us.
[email protected] for record labels interested in preliminary song demos
[email protected] for gig offers
soundcloud.com/sceptocrypt to download our discography!
@sceptocrypt – our socials, including teasers to new songs
SCEPTOCRYPT – 2014, London
Away from Malta and travelling around, Sceptocrypt’s founder and main composer Malcolm “Gool” Callus always knew in his heart that at some point he would have to find a place to call home, to put at rest an idea that has never abandoned him – to re-launch Sceptocrypt!
In 2007, he moved to London, becoming prolifically active with an avant-garde world music band EthnaMorte. Yet, as a fan he never stopped following extreme metal (you can here check his post-Sceptocrypt pre-Ethnamorte metal bands) & other forms of extreme music, especially bands with something fresh to offer!
So when drummer Adriano Ferraro – himself an exponent of many a metal style (from funeral doom to thrash, old to new school death metal, groove-laden hardcore to grindcore) – asked Malcolm to form an all-encompassing extreme metal band with something new to say, they agreed to give birth to the new Sceptocrypt beast.
Rehearsals starting late August 2014, it seemed that Malcolm’s experience in teaching guitar, bass & music theory in different genres was waiting for Adriano’s ferocity to blast through something extreme! Ideas flowed seamlessly from a myriad of music influences, subsequently put into 60 mins music in less than 2 months.
With plenty of twisted riffs and unexpected changes at the core of this new sound tagged as “extreme music research”, Sceptocrypt’s re-incarnation was meant to sound nihilistic & adversary without replicating Sceptocrypt 92-99 (after all, the world has gone through 15 years of new musical discovery) ……..
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SCEPTOCRYPT – 1992-1999, Malta
Since Sceptocrypt’s inception in 1992, its members had, through their activity in the 90s underground scene running Rancid Soup zine & radio show, been listening to loads of bands, most lending off each others’ ideas & others with something new to say. More attracted by the latter than the former, Sceptocrypt went on to forge a sound distinctively its own – an extreme metal looking out of its own box (including non-metal styles), a spike-in-the-wheel if you choose.
Past the early years to solidify its line-up, they started gigging, with Sceptocrypt supporting Anathema (the first underground band ever to play Malta) in ’95, and releasing its debut demo Wild Code of Reverie in ’96, received as “Demo of the Month” by the famous Dutch mag Aardschok and moreover, as “one of the best demos of ’96” in the German Fight Amnesia! Not to mention the countless others, not only from the extreme metal field.
With this feedback at heart, Sceptocrypt engaged in a change of line-up through ’96, soon thereafter recording Oratorio Mortem, a track merging baroque classical music with obscure chordal echoes and acoustic interludes that burst into a frenzied metal climax, supported by violin, bass and soprano vocals along the way. This track featured in a number of underground compilations (The Core of Creation, Amber, Psoriasis Prigg, etc.) all through ’96 and ’97.
In 1997, the band recorded a rehearsal tape Poor Crows, Give ‘Em A Deal, for press and media only. Despite its recording limitations (recorded mostly on a 4-track at their own rehearsal space), this promo achieved another myriad of stunning reviews, from as varied a spectrum as underground zines to some record labels, and from non-metal publications to a London College of Music & Media software programmer, namely Pete Farrugia, stating:
“The tape is very impressive, especially considering how it was recorded. I am still astonished by the erudite multi-lingual lyrics and I also have a picture in my mind that live performances by the band could be accompanied by visual images projected onto a screen. The music is so expressive that it suggests different images whenever I listen to it.”
Cross-cultural appreciation always at its heart, Sceptocrypt were a constant mark on Malta’s live calendar back in the 90s, appearing from all-out metal gigs to all-day all-genres music marathons, ever so keen to make both non-metal fans curious to explore extreme metal, as much as getting extreme metal fans to explore the unexpected!
With this constant urge to break musical boundaries, Sceptocrypt composed Amaranth so Puissant, a 32 minute work divided into 4 acts, with avant-garde classic, flamenco, latin and gothic arrangements flowing in and out of its extreme metal sonority. Lyrically, it followed an artist’s life from as soon as the radiant force of Art twists inside of him to when he finds the satisfaction within himself of a work completed – this through worlds of darkness, loss, hope, and satisfaction – till he meets the receiver of his world (in a musical world, the fan) who encourages him and serves as the vessel to make the Art shine. A modest live recording (with a 90s underground sound) of all 4 acts can be heard at our BandCamp.
With some of its lyrics featuring in a media expo After Hours, Amaranth was performed live both in its entirety, and as its opening Act I : The Planting, itself 10 mins long, appearing as the closing act of Sceptocrypt’s debut album.
Which came in 1999, when Sceptocrypt entered Farmhouse Studios to record !26 Hrs 72 Mins …. the need to differ). Featuring 6 songs spread over 64 mins, it was recorded by prog-rock aficionado & film scorer Paul Zammit Cutajar on a 64- track soundboard. With female & soprano vocals, flute & sampling complimenting Sceptocrypt’s core members, the resulting sound surpassed anything ever done before by Sceptocrypt, both stylistically and soundwise!
Sadly disbanding later that year due to a string of adverse effects, this CD was never released nor promoted to any label/zine. In fact, apart from some tracks featuring in compilations (Underground Media, Ematofagia, and Mass Metal), the whole !26 Hrs 72 Mins …. the need to differ) was only made available in 2014 at our Bandcamp.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Former members :
Vocals : Marcello Scarpello (co-founder) 1992-93; James Sciberras (also logo designer) 1993; Conrad Borg (also keyboards) 1993-99; Giselle Debattista 1997-99
Guitar: Jason Abela 1992-96; Etienne Camilleri 1996-98; Alan Bartolo 1999
Bass : Marco Spiteri 1992-96; Johann Tabone 1996-99, Dip Roy 2023-24
Drums : Steve Camilleri (co-founder) 1992; Joseph Cremona 1992-1994; Maurizio Schembri 1995; Antoine Ferrito 1996-99; Jason Mifsud 1999; Adriano Ferraro 2014- 15, Dan Massingham 2023, Dr Sol 2024
Recording contributors:
Linsey Frendo : violin, 1996
Paul Camilleri : male bass vocals, 1996
Pauline Longo : soprano vocals, 1996
Charmaine Cortis : soprano vocals, 1997
Claire Debono : soprano vocals, 1999
Gordon Zammit : flute & samples, 1997, 1999
David Depasquale : synths, 2022
Andrea Paro : noize & synths, 2023
Live guests 1992-99 :
Joseph Chetchuti: violin, 1995
Charmaine Cortis: soprano vocals, 1996
Rex Grech Santucci : growls & tambourine, 1996
Nicole Farrugia : soprano vocals, 1997
Lyrical contributors on Isegoria 2000 (1997 & 1999) :
Albert Bell, Maltese & English lyrics
Fr Valentine, Latin translations
Katerina, Ancient Greek & German translations
