Legendary Quebecois technical death metallers Cryptopsy astonished everyone in 2012 with their return-to-form self-titled album, which set them back on track to their classic sound following a string of mediocre releases. The band continue on their path of redemption with their latest offering, the first in a series of EPs, dubbed The Book of Suffering – Tome 1.
Cryptopsy have reignited their fury and revived every ounce of the brutality that they were renowned for during the mid-'90s on this four-track EP, which opens with a sound bite warning, "What you are about to hear is very disturbing indeed," as if to reassure fans that they're back to their old ways. "Detritus (The One They Kept)" proves this, with an assault of relentlessly fast blast-beats that showcase Flo Mounier's capabilities, as well as larynx-shredding screams, various time changes and an array of chaotic riffs.
The following two tracks display Olivier Pinard and Christian Donaldson's finest, most dynamic work on Tome 1. "The Knife, the Head and What Remains" is filled with intense, heavy grooves in between moments of frenzied guitar work, while "Halothane Glow" captures a more traditional death metal vibe with crushing rhythms, yet features unorthodox time signatures and tempo shifts. "Framed by Blood" makes for a perfect closer to the EP, starting with machine-gun blasts and Matt McGachy's best vocal performance, while maintaining a blazing pace and stunning technicality.
Tome 1 is a strong and brilliant start to what should shape up to be an epic EP series.
(Independent)Cryptopsy have reignited their fury and revived every ounce of the brutality that they were renowned for during the mid-'90s on this four-track EP, which opens with a sound bite warning, "What you are about to hear is very disturbing indeed," as if to reassure fans that they're back to their old ways. "Detritus (The One They Kept)" proves this, with an assault of relentlessly fast blast-beats that showcase Flo Mounier's capabilities, as well as larynx-shredding screams, various time changes and an array of chaotic riffs.
The following two tracks display Olivier Pinard and Christian Donaldson's finest, most dynamic work on Tome 1. "The Knife, the Head and What Remains" is filled with intense, heavy grooves in between moments of frenzied guitar work, while "Halothane Glow" captures a more traditional death metal vibe with crushing rhythms, yet features unorthodox time signatures and tempo shifts. "Framed by Blood" makes for a perfect closer to the EP, starting with machine-gun blasts and Matt McGachy's best vocal performance, while maintaining a blazing pace and stunning technicality.
Tome 1 is a strong and brilliant start to what should shape up to be an epic EP series.
