Artist: Usurper
Label: Earache Records
Release Date: 2/8/05
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Title: Cryptobeast Artist: Usurper Label: Earache Records Release Date: 2/8/05 |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
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3 | ||
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Abyss's Review:
"Usurper just grabbed my attention, I look forward to seeing if they can hold it". This was how I ended my review for Twilight Dominion, an album I felt was the first to showcase these guys' potential. Usurper have come a long way from their Midwest black metal beginnings, excelling in a classic sound that mixes traditional metal, thrash and modern death metal. Now if we could only do something about this album title...
"One word review: Impressive." This is easily the band's most accomplished work, showcasing a maturity and a uniqueness that eluded the band, especially in their earlier days. If the band made any mistake on this record, it might be that they were a little too ambitious, attempting to make every track on the album a pump-your-fist-in-the-air anthem. Even in this lofty endeavor, they are largely successful. "Kill For Metal" is the most obvious attempt, but not, in my opinion, the most successful. "Bones Of My Enemies" and "Return Of The Werewolf" are the standout tracks that propel this album beyond just a solid outing, showing that the band can be both crushing and brutal as shown on the former and traditional and melodic as shown by the latter.
The addition of new throat Dan Lawson is definitely a plus, infusing the band with a more deep-throated death growl that really acts as an anchor to the whole sound. His vocals add a nice dimension and make some of the more cheesy lyrics ("Kill for metal," for example) sound a little less cliché. The guitars utilize a really cool sound, towing the line between a classic 80s buzzsaw and modern death's crushing thickness. Interesting instrumental passages and thoughtful solos also add to the old-school vibe, the result being a great all around record.
I distinctly remember being pretty sure that this band was destined to mediocrity and deserved obscurity, and I have to say that Usurper have done a good job of showing me that my feet taste even worse than they smell. These guys should be commended for refusing to be relegated to the third-tier of forgotten bands, as their determination and talent has earned them a position at the forefront of the scene. One word review: Impressive.
Death's Review:
Worshipping at the altar of old Celtic Frost and Bolt Thrower, and bolstered by a hpyer-adrenalized thrash sensibility, Chicago's Usurper storm back with the Neil Kernon produced Cryptobeast, easily their best album yet. Featuring the return of drummer Joe Warlord, new vokillist Dan Lawson (who still sounds like a disciple of the Tom G. Warrior school of vocals, with the occasional long scream thrown in for good measure), Usurper have crafted a well-produced and well-executed platter full of anthemic, fist-pumping mayhem that takes the "fun" of bands like Manowar and Immortal and combines it with intense, unrelenting downtuned, thrashy death and roll. "Kill for Metal" needs to be the Headbanger's Ball video (although perhaps you aren't allowed to advocating "killing" on MTV?), and opener "Bones of My Enemies" sets the tone by ripping a guitar solo right out of the box. Nothing too uber-original going on here, just straightforward metal for metal's sake - the kind of stuff meant to bang the head that doesn't bang, if you know what I mean.
"Nothing too uber-original going on here, just straightforward metal for metal's sake."
Hel's Review:
Let’s start with the obvious question: What the hell is a “cryptobeast”? Judging by the artwork gracing the cover of my promo, it appears to be some sort of flying demon creature that raids crypts… Sure, why not? It certainly is as silly as their lyrical content.
"Usurper’s music is great." Usurper’s music is great. I found this to be true with their last album and it remains true with this effort. My problem with the band lies in their lyrics, which are, as I have already mentioned, extremely silly. Song titles like “Kill for Metal” and “Return of the Werewolf” are indicative of the kind of deep thought to be provoked within the songs. In both of these songs, the chorus consists of those phases and very little else.
No, not every band has to be deep and have intellectually stimulating topics. But lyrics that cause me to giggle every time I hear them are a pet peeve of mine. Unless they are meant to be a joke, and in this case, I sincerely doubt that is what they are going for. Ridiculousness of the lyrics aside, the music on Cryptobeast is actually quite stellar. I have no doubt Usurper is a great live band, and maybe one of these days I’ll actually make it to the show in time to see them. If you have a tolerance or fondness for campy metal lyrics, you should definitely take a listen to Usurper.
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