When I got my hands on the new album by Canadian Extreme metallers, CRYPTOPSY, I didn’t really know what to expect. I’ve only come across a few CRYPTOPSY songs before now, which as it turns out may prove helpful to keep a touch of objectivity, as the album brings forth a new sound.
Long time fans won’t see the replacement of original vocalist Lord Worm, for the second time, as a good thing. However, if you take this album at face value, as so-called “Deathcore” rather than the technical and extreme Death Metal of albums past, it certainly has merit and is likely to gain new fans. Current vocalist Matt McGachy mostly has what it takes, but there is something about his singing that doesn’t always fit. The first four tracks are high paced, good Deathcore Metal tracks. On ‘Bemoan The Martyr’ we get a glimpse at McGachy’s singing, again on ‘The Plagued’ and a few bits after, to be honest it’s not a high point for me. As for his screaming, it holds hints of the guttural but he can’t escape his Hardcore/Metalcore roots entirely.
It is well produced, some might say over produced, combined with the change of genre has fans calling sellout but honestly I doubt this holds any water. The band is out to experiment, they want to stay relevant. I think the last thing they want to do is to continue with the same sound, they certainly haven’t stuck with the same band members, the only original member being drummer, Flo Mounier.
Speaking of drums, Mounier’s ability on the drums may be a saving grace for long standing fans, some may sense he’s had to calm down a bit to match all the new faces in the band, but it is an element that drives many songs on this album.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed ‘The Unspoken King’ as will fans of Deathcore but fans of old CRYPTOPSY tread with caution.
Review by: Dale Wallath (DJ of the Hard Fast & Heavy Show on 95bFM)
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