Artist: Cryptopsy
Label: Century Media
Release Date: 10/31/00
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Title: And Then You'll Beg Artist: Cryptopsy Label: Century Media Release Date: 10/31/00 |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
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Go to Reader Reviews | ||
Abyss's Review:
Cryptopsy have been around the underground for a good while now, and since their Century Media debut (Whisper Supremacy), they've gotten the distribution support to become a mainstay on playlists for metalheads around the globe. Now, while it is a given that their previous releases have been very quality ones, they've always hovered on the periphery of my attention. Unfortunately, with so much good metal out there (the 80s were not metal's heyday, by the way, we're in the midst of metal's heyday right now) Cryptopsy suffered from being lumped into the "I'll get to it when I can" pile of CDs on my desk. In all honesty, And Then You'll Beg was in danger of that on its first spin as well, but with repeated listens the subtle intricacies show their face, and give one the impression that there is much more to this band than you might think at first.
Photos by Cynthia PelznerWhile their initial brutal sound is impressive, it's not what sets these guys apart from the plethora of quality, but undistinguished death metal acts out there. It's their knack for incorporating different styles and making them their own. Along with their American (I guess I should say North American, these guys hail from Canada) death metal base, we have whispers of Gothenburg and grind that utilize a wide range of vocal styles and beats. The genius in this album is that they disguise these influences to the point that you don't really notice them. The stop/start precision of the rhythms remind one of Meshuggah, but the band sounds very little like them as a whole. The high-pitched tremolo-picked melodies are reminiscent of old Dark Tranquility, but the comparison ends there, there are even faintly urban nuances that drift into some of the vocal deliveries, but this band is far removed from Urbancore or Hardcore.
It's not that other bands haven't experimented with these sounds, but none of them have done it like this. Cryptopsy have burned their own brand of brutality, and while much of it is borrowed, the end result is all their own. This band tours quite often, but I haven't seen them capture this type of feel on stage, I'm excited to see how well this new material comes across in a live setting. Knocked a skull off because, although I really dig this while I'm listening to it, once it's off of my CD player I'm not counting the seconds till I get another opportunity to listen to it.
Death's Review:
"This is the sound of inevitability!" What??? Oh, anyway, the review. What is it about Cryptopsy that separates them from say, Morbid Angel, the other album we're reviewing this week? Speed. And technicality. And that almost unquantifiable hardcore element. It's like the recent stuff I've been seeing where people are dogging on the Cryptopsy press sheet's comparing them to the Coalese or the Dillinger Escape Plan. People, it's not that whacked! Maybe they should say more like Cephalic Carnage or something, but there's clearly a little grindcore/technical noise thing goin' on in there. Cryptopsy are ultratechical at times, and spastically tight at others. But they are brutal throughout, and don't seem to miss a note. Mr. Bungle, meet Lamb of God. Morbid Angel this is certainly not (but check out that riffing in the middle of "My Prodigal Son" for an example of them coming close).
Individual riffs display headbanging hooks amidst the chaos, but no song really lodges itself in my head. I'm sorry I missed Cryptopsy at CBGB's a few weeks back, I want to see this stuff live. I'm sure they pull it off. Anyway, compared to Whisper Supremacy, this is perhaps a bit more musical and less pummeling. But, the shift is subtle and the music remains the very definition of extreme. If you like where the extreme meets the avant-garde but are primarily a death metal fan at heart, Cryptopsy is your favorite band.
Hel's Review:
I have extremely fond memories of Whisper Supremacy. If you are familiar with that disc of insanity, you realize that a high standard had been set. Musically, And Then You'll Beg is just as accomplished, with songs comprised of staggeringly rapid riffing and accompanying intensity to bring you to your knees. And then you'll beg...
I often confess to being a death metal fan, and as such, I have firm ideas of what a death vocal line should sound like. Most of the time, And Then You'll Beg sounds as it should, and stands up well to precedent. Then there are times when the vocals move away from being as from-the-bowels-of-hell sounding to more angry-guy-singing sounding. When the vocal balance swings toward angry-guy, my interest wanes.
Underneath the vocals, there is technically astounding death metal musicianship. If you're not picky about the vocal particulars, there's no question that you're going to be psyched for And Then You'll Beg. If you are picky, you should suck it up and give this one a few spins regardless, it's a damn fine recording, well worth being familiar with.
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