Few death metal acts have a run of albums as divisive as Cryptopsy. Starting life as an uncompromisingly brutal tech-death act, they took the world by storm with 1994s Blasphemy Made Flesh and 1996s iconic None So Vile. Their hyperkinetic blend of speed, technicality, and heaviness set them apart from every other outfit save Gorguts and Suffocation. Sadly, these epic albums proved hard to top and the subsequent years were not so kind to Cryptopsy. A series of ill-advised experimentations with their sound and one flagrant attempt to sell out left a bad taste in many a fan’s mouth, and looking back over their career, they’ve been nothing if not inconsistent. While things have been trending upward of late with a decent eponymous full-length and two solid EPs of furious tech-death, I always brace for impact when a new Cryptopsy arrives. What should you expect from their eighth album, As Gomorrah Burns? Let’s compare expectations with harsh reality.
I’m happy to report that the positive trend of recent releases continues. As Gomorrah Burns offers what we’ve come to know as the modern Cryptopsy sound. It’s wickedly fast, wildly technical, and heavy as fook. The sound of the recent Book of Suffering EPs continues apace and you get treated to a collection of enthusiastically bonkers cuts like opener “Lascivious Undivine,” where the band seems hell-bent on proving themselves through blistering speed. The technical chops on display are jaw-dropping, with the precise rapid-fire kit abuse by Flo Mounier colliding and rebounding off jagged, cutting riffstorms from Christian Donaldson. Matt McGachy offers a furious collection of death roars and ragged screams and the whole package is tech-death in its most primal form. What helps sell the material is the band’s ability to channel all their berserk shreddery into cohesive songs that don’t require a degree from The Julliard School to enjoy. “In Abeyance” is a scorching death tune regardless of what niche genre classification you file it under. By keeping the lunacy under 3 minutes, it hits hard and then flees the scene. “Godless Deceiver” does much the same, approaching Archspire levels of blindingly syncopated speed. When a pleasingly melodic solo arrives at 2:28, it feels like the first chance to catch your breath since you pressed play. There are also a few loving nods to early Carcass embedded within.
My favorite moments come late on Gomorrah. “Obeisant” starts much slower than its blasty peers, developing a more ominous, threatening aura before exploding into light-speed mania. The wildly churning, corkscrewing riffs riddle the ears like shrapnel and the segues into massive mid-tempo chugs are righteous. The tech-flair is tempered in service of the song and it works wonders. Closer “Praise the Filth” operates within the same lines, with Donaldson’s riffwork rubbing rudely against Immolation and Morbid Angel soundscapes. While there are no songs that feel disposable, “Ill Ender” and “The Righteous Lost” have lower levels of razz and matazz than their album-mates. The often blinding speed causes tracks to bleed together into a threatening mush but thankfully, the 33-minute length prevents the listener from getting completely overwhelmed by the ludicrous speed and madcap tempo shifts.
The members of Cryptopsy are indisputably ace musicians. Flo Mounier and Christian Donaldson are hugely talented, as is bassist Oliver Pinard (Cattle Decapitation). All get the chance to shine without turning the album into a weapon of mass wanky-cranky. I’m especially impressed with Donaldson’s wide-ranging performance and suspiciously large collection of sick riffs. That the band managed to successfully coalesce their prodigious technical chops into enjoyable songs is the greatest praise I can offer. Tempo shifts feel organic and unforced and most tracks have a decent sense of flow. The chief complaint I have is with Matt McGachy’s vocals. I’ve never been a fan of his style and though his roars and gurgles are satisfactory, his tendency to lapse into screamo territory detracts from the music whenever it occurs. It isn’t enough to bring the album down, but it doesn’t elevate it either. Yes, we all miss Lord Worm and no, he isn’t coming back, but I’d appreciate a more consistent vocal performance from whoever holds the mic.
As with every Cryptopsy release since 2008, I came into As Gomorrah Burns tentative and guarded. Caution aside, they delivered an album’s worth of nasty, complex, and listenable death metal. No, it isn’t None So Vile II. That doesn’t mean that Cryptopsy have nothing to offer in 2023, and when everything comes together just so, you can almost hear the glory days. It’s all about managing expectations. Good and nearly very good.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Nuclear Blast
Websites: linktr.ee/cryptopsy | cryptopsyofficial.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/cryptopsyofficial
Releases Worldwide: September 8th, 2023
