One word that springs to mind when listening to Cryptosis’ new album is “wow”. “Celestial Death” is a monster that has a soft underbelly; as heavy and brutal as it is, and believe me it is, there is a melodic symphonic vibe off it as well and that’s before you throw in the synths.
Opening with “Prologue- Awakening” a haunting synth lead instrumental that will send a shiver down your spine as it leads you to the maelstrom. “Faceless Matter” throws you head first into the depths of brutality with a searing drum beat and cutting riffs matched by the equally cutting vocals of Houvast, the symphonic side is something that will surprise but it works well. “Static Horizon” continues the onslaught as the intensity increases with a relentless drum beat and thumping bass, the most ear-catching thing of all is the riff that runs throughout, a groovy little thing that has no business being on the track of this ilk but fits in perfectly. The ominous opening tones of “The Silent Call” should put the fear of God in you, but it is as the track progresses that you can feel a real malevolence to it; crushing riffs and blistering drums combine with an eerie mellotron riff to give you a dark foreboding track. “Ascending” sees the band expand on their sound with a more progressive vibe this one, Riet’s synth work is phenomenal allowing the band to embark on a thrilling soundscape where Prij’s drumming takes centre stage with Houvast’s intricate guitar work backing it all up, this is one of the best tracks on the album.
“Motionless Balance” is an atmospheric interlude that allows you to regroup before you journey once more into the darkness in the shape of “Reign Of Infinite”; another astounding shift from Prij’s sets this one up as Houvast comes in over the top with a stunning vocal performance as Riet’s savage bass line balances the whole track, his synth riffs aren’t too shabby either and are a real focal point on the entire album. “Absent Presence” is a crushing track, its incessant drum beat and rumbling bass line are heavy as hell and when you throw in Houvast’s vocals they add an extra dimension to the track, the synth riff that runs underneath the track is excellent giving off a creepy horror movie vibe, a real contender for track of the album. “In Between Realities” has a real low-end groove to it thanks to Prij’s brutal drum beat and Riet’s meaty bass line, the guitar work is amazing which helps create a kicking rhythm as Houvast roars his way through the track. At a million miles an hour “Cryptosphere” is balls to the wall stuff; machine gun drumming, intense riffs and a thunderous bass line with no sign of let up, an all-encompassing snapshot of how the guys have blended elements of death, black and thrash metal with a helping of prog, pure class.
As it begins, it ends with “Coda -Wander Into The Light,” a soaring instrumental that washes away the intensity of what has gone before with an air of calmness.
If Cryptosis were not on your radar it most definitely will be now, this is a stunning album from start to finish.
Pre-order is available here: https://cryptosis.lnk.to/
Review: Conor
Cryptosis – “Celestial Death” (42:12):
1. Prologue – Awakening (01:16)
2. Faceless Matter (03:52)
3. Static Horizon (05:10)
4. The Silent Call (Version 2024) (05:02)
5. Ascending (03:38)
6. Motionless Balance (01:48)
7. Reign Of Infinite (05:44)
8. Absent Presence (04:15)
9. In Between Realities (03:47)
10. Cryptosphere (04:22)
11. Coda – Wander Into The Light (03:11)
“Celestial Death” will be made available as Ltd. CD Digipak edition in its first pressing, as Gatefold LP on 180g vinyl (Unlimited black vinyl and a Limited deep blood red vinyl in 300x copies, available from cmdistro.de, various other retailers and the band directly) and as Digital Album.
The album’s pre-order is available here: https://cryptosis.lnk.to/
Cryptosis have been announced to be part of a European tour together with British Thrashers Onslaught, who are celebrating the 40th Anniversary of their classic “Power From Hell” album. Check all already confirmed upcoming Cryptosis dates – including an album release show in Enschede, The Netherlands on March 29th – here:
Onslaught + Cryptosis
“Power From Hell 40th Anniversary Tour 2025”
29.05.2025 Oldenburg (Germany) – MTS
31.05.2025 Essen (Germany) – Turock
01.06.2025 Diest (Belgium) – Hell
03.06.2025 Dijon (France) – La Vapeur
04.06.2025 Milano (Italy) – Slaughter Club
05.06.2025 Bologna (Italy) – Alchemica
06.06.2025 Graz (Austria) – Explosiv
08.06.2025 Salzburg (Austria) – Rockhouse
10.06.2025 Stuttgart (Germany) – Der Schwarze Keiler
12.06.2025 Leipzig (Germany) – Hellraiser
14.06.2025 Selb (Germany) – Rockclub Nordbayern
Cryptosis live 2025:
29.03.2025 Enschede (The Netherlands) – Metropool (Album release show)
10.05.2025 Eibergen (The Netherlands) – Achterhoeks Metalfest
30.05.2025 Hoogeveen (The Netherlands) – Graveland Festival
07.06.2025 Steyr (Austria) – Röda
06.09.2025 Dronten (The Netherlands) – Dronten MetalFest
And many more dates to be announced soon…
Stay tuned for more activity and news about Cryptosis and “Celestial Death” coming soon…
Cryptosis line-up:
Marco Prij – Drums
Laurens Houvast – Vocals, Guitars
Frank te Riet – Bass, Mellotron, Synths, Backing vocalsCryptosis online:
www.cryptosis.net
www.facebook.com/CryptosisNL
https://www.instagram.com/
https://open.spotify.com/
http://www.centurymedia.com
http://www.facebook.com/
https://www.instagram.com/
http://www.youtube.com/
http://www.cmdistro.com