CRYPTOPSY

The Unspoken King

Century Media/ CD 2008

This album was a great mystery for all the CRYPTOPSY fanatics. After kicking out Dan “Lord Worm” Greening and two other band mates leaving the band some thought that it would be almost impossible to create something as good as “Once Was Not”. The situation was even more mysterious – and disturbing for some – when the band announced that the new throat will be a man called Matt Mcgachy from a little-known Canadian melodic death metal 3 Mile Scream. The suspense continued when outlines of the forthcoming album leaked into the web. “Bemoan the Martyr” with clean vocals, quite simple melodies, metalcore influences and surprisingly low level of brutality. Many CRYPTOPSY maniacs thought “WTF?” and some even created a League Against Matt Mcgachy to boycott the new music.

But after the 24th of June 2008 many CRYPTOPSY fans breathed a sigh of relief. Of course to some fans the new album “The Unspoken King” was a huge – negative – surprise, mostly because of the metalcore influences, clean vocals, keyboard sounds and singing parts. But most listeners had a different overall impression: the “new CRYPTOPSY” is still devastating. Even the opening act “Worship your demons” show which path the Canadians will follow: a brutal yet complex combination of force, aggression and technical ingeniuity. Of course one can say that the vocals are “weird”, too emotional or even too “whimpy” to fit the classical style of CRYPTOPSY but I can take a chance to admit it sounds even better and more revolutionary than the past creations of Lord Worm or even Martin Lacroix.

In opposition to the feared softening the sound Canadians prepared a grinding, ear-demolishing and still fresh compositions. Of course there are the slower – almost ballad-like – compositions (like “The Plagued”) but none shall forget such parts from the past as “Cold Hate, Warm Blood”, where a slower, “mainstream” introduction was followed by bone-crushing and ear whipping technical (especially in the drum level) masterpiece. On the other hand the tracks such as “Resurgence of an Empire” or “Silence the Tyrants” deliver a real death metal attack which should leave us begging for more. Especially when one puts greater attention to the rhythmical and drumming level of this album. The unconventional, rapidly and unexpectedly changing guitar parts, devastating and bone-crushing robot-like drumming and fierce tempos mixed with almost melodic and “emotional” parts create a new image of CRYPTOPSY. Better than the old one? I believe so…

11/12