American progressive/doom metal act Psyclops stream new album »Bound To Burn: Melody Of The Martyr«; available now on vinyl and digital!
Portland, Oregon based progressive/doom metal act Psyclops has just released their new studio album »Bound To Burn: Melody Of The Martyr« on May 22nd, 2026. The album comes with the companion graphic novel.
Listen to »Bound To Burn: Melody Of The Martyr« on all major streaming services!
Tracklist:
01. The Explorer-Errant (Pg. 1)
02. Consequences I: The Instinct To Survive (Pg. 3)
03. Consequences II: Warning From The Wise (Pg. 7)
04. Consequences III: Swallowed Skies, Sea Of Eyes (Pg. 12)
05. Presence From Beyond (Pg. 17)
06. Clarity (Pg. 21)
07. Indomitable I: Depths Of Dissent (Pg. 26)
08. Indomitable II: Binding Purpose (Pg. 31)
09. Indomitable III: The Fight That Lies Before (Pg. 33)
10. Manifest I: Seeing Is Believing (Pg. 37)
11. Manifest II: Warranted Transgression (Pg. 39)
12. Manifest III: The Ouroboros Chorus (Pg. 40)
13. Begin Anew (Pg. 41)
Psyclops are a Portland-based progressive metal band centered around breathing life into art and narrative through meticulously-detailed and genre-defying musical experiences. Since their debut in 2015, Psyclops has built a foundation in the NW music scene by actively supporting and headlining events for a variety of local and national metal & rock acts such as Light The Torch (formerly known as Devil You Know), Truckfighters, Mothership, and Doyle (of The Misfits).
»Bound To Burn: Melody Of The Martyr« is the first chapter in a cross-media experience developed in close collaboration between Psyclops and Portland-based comic artists Ben House and Morgan Hickman from 2020-2025. The record was independently produced by Psyclops/Connor Reising Audio and mixed and mastered by Jamie King Audio.
Accompanying »Bound To Burn: Melody Of The Martyr« is a graphic novel drawn by Ben House Illustration and colored by Morgan Hickman Comics. Through detailed illustrations and impressive colors, the 43-page book serves as a comprehensive visual guide for the expositional, thematic, and emotional beats explored throughout the record.
Photo credits: Scotty Fisher
The story of »Bound To Burn: Melody Of The Martyr« begins in a not-so-distant future where the worst effects of climate change have ravaged the Earth. The lands lay barren, starved of precious resources. Methane clouds blanket the atmosphere, unleashing merciless firestorms at-will. Humanity stands on their last leg for survival as they carry out the impossible task of holding onto hope in an otherwise hopeless place. But after a rogue Explorer defies the social structures they’ve been bound to and ventures further into the wastelands than anyone has lived to recount, they make a discovery that has the potential to reshape the fate of humanity forever. Will they survive the journey home? Or will they die as they lived: a martyr to a world devoid of hope?
The origins of »Bound To Burn: Melody Of The Martyr« began with a question: If humanity was given a chance to undo our wrongs in the midst of the worst possible outcome, would the same mistakes that caused our undoing persist as critical barriers to our progress? From that seed, a concept was born – and over the course of a global pandemic and six challenging years of creative collaboration, has blossomed into an inspired body of music that paints a clear reflection of the journey it took to create it, while also opening a harrowing window into a future not far from our own.
With this release, Psyclops immerses audiences in a brand-new, original science fiction universe through art, video, and genre-defying music.
Order »Bound To Burn: Melody Of The Martyr« here:
psyclopsmusic.com | psyclopspdx.bandcamp.com
Vocal performance by Connor Reising.
Cello, banjo and orchestral arrangement support by Charlie Patton.
Voice acting in »Consequences II: Warning From The Wise« by Danielle Neblock.
Baritone saxophone in »Manifest III: The Ouroboros Chorus« by Matt Sulokowski.
Engineering by Connor Reising Audio.
Production by Jamie King Audio.
Additional thanks to Jasper Loelle for the contribution.
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well