Album Review: Cryptopsy – As Gomorrah Burns (Nuclear Blast)
Canadian technical death metal band Cryptopsy will release their first full-length album in over a decade. Called ‘As Gomorrah Burns’, it will be released on September 8th, 2023, via Nuclear Blast.
It’s been quite a while since Cryptopsy blessed us with some of their garish and grim sounds. The technical death metal band’s legacy speaks for itself, but the tech-death world has certainly seen some impressive advancements over the last decade. Where does Cryptopsy fit in this scene now?
It turns out, they fit wherever the hell they want. As Gomorrah Burns is every bit the classic Cryptopsy fans would want it to be, while being shrewd and technically advanced. This isn’t the sound of a band struggling to match what is around them, rather it’s the sound of a dominating band reasserting themselves.
A tight release of just eight tracks, As Gomorrah Burns is a little over half an hour of non-stop heavy speed, unfiltered aggression, and technical intensity. It’s a unrelenting experience that leaves you feeling battered and bruised. Cryptopsy are on fine form here, and each track features an array of crunching riff work, razor-sharp hooks, deafening percussion, and demonic vocals.
Fresh and familiar. The whole album is a brutal showcase of dynamic heaviness. Where variety comes in moments rather than full tracks. Be under no false illusions, Cryptopsy are band with some flair and that comes through on tracks like Lascivious Undivine, Flayed the Swine, and Praise the Filth. Three of the album’s strongest offerings and three of the best showcases of Cryptopsy as they are in 2023.
Flair be damned though, most of this record’s appeal comes from the sheer embodiment of savagery that is Cryptopsy. If you’re after a blast of brutality, there are few better examples of it then As Gomorrah Burns.
It’s good have Cryptopsy back.
Cryptopsy – As Gomorrah Burns Track Listing:
1. Lascivious Undivine
2. In Abeyance
3. Godless Deceiver
4. III Ender
5. Flayed the Swine
6. The Righteous Lost
7. Obeisant
8. Praise the Filth
Links
Bandcamp | Facebook | Nuclear Blast
Cryptopsy - As Gomorrah Burns (Nuclear Blast)
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The Final Score - 8/10
8/10