Crionics

The most exciting thing out of Europe in the past ten years has been the new school of extreme acts who, by merging melody with menace and technicality with time-honoured thrash, have upped the ante when it comes to musicianship and composition. Crionics have found the ideal balance in this modern brutality, masterfully straddling the space between black and death with both precision and prowess. Neuthrone is the kind of record that keeps on giving: "New Pantheon” starts off strong, while inevitable favourites like "Humanmeat Cargo” and "Black Warriors” serve to cap off an intelligent and exhilarating ride. Put simply, this album knows no duds. They’re best when constructing hooks, flowing through meaty grooves and building catchy breakdowns, adding to the instrumental infectiousness with vocal layering and phrasing akin to countrymen Behemoth. The use of electronics supplements the viciousness, creating a Fear Factory-esque industrial component that can seem superfluous at times, but helps separate them from their distinguished contemporaries. End the summer on a high note: buy this record.