Cryptopsy “An Insatiable Violence”
An Insatiable Violence comes out June 20th on Season of Mist
Technical death metal veterans Cryptopsy have been decimating crowds with their brand of brutal, proficient and complex death metal for decades now. Through different vocalists, experimentation with deathcore on their album The Unspoken King, and a return to form with the one-two punch of 2012’s Self-Titled. Then, after a long eleven year wait, the band decimated the death metal landscape with their 2023 album As Gomorrah Burns. The band has stayed the course and delivered brutality and hostility for over thirty years. Two years after Gomorrah burned, the band returns with their ninth album An Insatiable Violence. The question is, does this new album rekindle the fires of Gomorrah and start a new, more violent holy war of bloodlust and blast beats?
The album opens with “The Nimis Adoriation”. Right out the gate, it is a barrage of blast beats from Flo Mournier and chugging guitars from Christian Donaldson. A sonic assault of just pure intense technical precision that the band is known for. Matt McGachy’s deep guttural growls, into ear-shattering screams, pierces through the mix. All while adding to the onslaught of the band’s unhinged speed and brutality. I love the soaring, dueling guitar solos after the halfway mark, with Mournier’s double-bass providing the backbone. Then, a short bass lead by Olivier “Oli” Pinard, adds that gurgly bass sound that Cryptopsy delivers. The chugging breakdown piece near the end instantly had me stank facing until the final moments. Strong, heavy and brutal opening track.
“Until There’s Nothing Left” continues the relentless pacing from the previous track. With their foot still on the gas, the band continues to go for the jugular with Mournier just flying all over his kit and precise playing throughout the song. With moments of slowdown and midtempo pacing, the band plays around with speed to the second. Giving the listener a taste of thrash and speed, before slowing down to a more brooding and foreboding tone. Especially with Mournier, Donaldson and Pinard having one of the tightest rhythm sections in death metal.
On “Dead Eyes Replete”, McGachy just sounds unhinged in his high, opening screams amongst the drumming. With his vocal juggling becoming more prominent on the track. From moments of deep, guttural growls similar to original vocalist Lord Worm, to high screams akin to Travis Ryan of Cattle Decapitation. Showcasing how he has just gotten better and more complex vocally since his debut on The Unspoken King. Donaldson is a just a riff machine as well on the track. Mournier dominates the opening of “Fools Last Acclaim”. With his technical blasting and double bass adding so much heft and power to McGachy’s deep gutturals in the opening verse. Another song I was instantly bobbing my head along throughout the progression of the track. Musically, it has a very old school Cryptopsy vibe. With the same pacing, song style and structure and instrumentation as something off of None So Vile or Whisper Supremacy in my opinion.
The opening doomier, sludgy opening of “The Art of Emptiness” finally gives the listener a breather after the first four songs. Then the band just goes for the throat again. Though not as fast and relentless compared to the first couple tracks, the tempo is slower. Adding a more slower, even deathcore-esque pacing and bounce to the track. I LOVE the thrashier guitar riff near the halfway mark, adding that high-octane energy leading into the guitar solo by Donaldson. Ominous clean guitars open “Our Great Deception”. With smooth jazz style drumming and a prominent bass lead by Pinard, the song’s intensity begins to rise. Creating a dark, brooding and dark transition into a bombastic attack of drumming and guitars. I can picture the pit going insane throughout the song’s moments of blasting drums and McGachy’s screams, to the breakdown mimicking guitars of Donaldson. Cryptopsy past and present unite on “Embrace The Nihility”. Featuring former vocalist Mike DiSalvo providing additional vocals on the track. Pummeling and relentless throughout the almost four-minute runtime, the song just is technical and manic in the instrumentation. From moments of start/stop pacing, guitar stabs and bends, to the precision and fluidity of Mournier. Heavy as all hell in the guitars throughout the whole track and Donaldson shining on the track amongst the vocals and unrelenting blast beats.
Album closer “Malicious Needs” continues the pacing that started the album off as the band goes for the killing blow on this almost six-minute track. Donaldson delivering the chugging heaviness, as Mournier and Pinard match the proficiency in instrumentation, complexity in playing and overall heaviness as a rhythm section. The swaying affect in the production, with the guitars swaying in my headphones and the drumming beneath it, add to the heaviness in the mix. With Pinard’s bass adding that heavy bottom-end and peaking through at certain points above the guitars. The song’s final two minutes are open-ended in the production. Creating that heavy, unhinged and manic chaos to a doomier, hopeless nature in the instrumentation. With the song slowing to a crawl, and McGachy just delivering high, heavily distorted vocal screams as the band hangs back to let his vocals really showcase as the song fades out to end the album.
An Insatiable Violence is a strong album that continues the band’s technical sound that some fans feel resurrected since the band’s self-titled. Standout tracks like “The Nimis Adoriation” & “Fools Last Acclaim” capture the vibe of classic Cryptopsy while songs like the album’s closer push where the band can go. Showcasing that the band can be heavy without playing fast and technical, adding that slower, sludgier sound that the band incorporates on this album really well. Cryptopsy is like a fine wine and just gets better over time and is a band that is willing to push their sound, test different genres and musical influences, and continue to deliver a commanding and powerful sonic assault of technical brutal death metal that this band has perfected over thirty years.
SCORE: 4.5 / 5
You can purchase An Insatiable Violence on the band’s Bandcamp or stream it on their Spotify. The band is currently on a European tour as part of the Infernal Bloodshed Over Europe Tour w/ Decapitated, Warbringer and Carnation. Check out tour dates and buy tickets HERE.
The band will also be touring North America this fall w/ Nile, The Last Ten Seconds of Life and Cognitive. You can check out tour dates below and purchase tickets HERE.
