Cryptopsy
"...And Then You'll Beg"

THE REVIEW

The Cryptopsy is one of those ever-evolving bands that match each release with a change of direction without diminishing the quality, which remains excellent and above average. This can be empirically proven by listening chronologically to their albums: from the debut "Blasphemy Made Flesh" to the latest "Once Was Not," differences can be noted that keep them always at the top and in step with the times. "… And Then You'll Beg" was released in 2000 and is proof of what has been said above: although the five Canadians (the line-up sees the entry of the second guitarist Alex Auburn) continue the path taken with the previous "Whisper Supremacy," they enrich their sound with new elements that make this work anything but a clone of the aforementioned. Drummer Flo Mounier demonstrates, as always, to be among the best (in my opinion THE best) in the field and further expands his technical skills: the tempos are always very fast, and there is very little room for slowdowns, but compared to the masterpieces of the past, the so-called "compound times" (i.e., times whose base is not the canonical four quarters) are making their way. To be honest, it's not an absolute novelty as Gorguts had already experimented with these rhythms in "Obscura," published two years earlier: but Cryptopsy does it with renewed brutality and without completely abandoning the solid base of Brutal Death Metal. Don't be misled by the slightly Hardcore-Punk tones of Mike DiSalvo's voice, who already succeeded the more traditional Lord Worm in "Whisper Supremacy": musically speaking, they evolve, but this doesn't mean they abandon their origins as a Death metal band. However, the guitar riffs become more refined, and the same distortion is much more "abrasive" compared to the beginnings, although it loses a bit in terms of power.

Make no mistake, we are not dealing with a disappointing or less extreme release; on the contrary, the listening is much more challenging and requires very steady nerves. Alongside very intense songs of about two minutes, like "My Prodigal Sun" or "Voice Of Unreason," we find truly lengthy sound assaults (such is the case of the concluding "Screams Go Unheard" or "We Bleed") capable of undermining even the firmness of a trained listener. Also noteworthy is the presence of a remake of a song written and published in Cryptopsy's debut EP, "Ungent Exhumation" from 1994: the song in question is "Back To the Worms" and stands out from the others for being more firmly anchored in the tradition of Death metal. As always, the bassist gives us magnificent breaks that showcase his skill but also the great compositional skills of the group. The songs are very structured, bordering on the mechanical, and make the album truly twisted and difficult to decipher: the lyrics are also cryptic (pardon the pun) and, as already done in the previous album, they leave aside the classic themes of Death metal, becoming absolutely visionary and allegorical.

In general, the whole album could be defined as allegorical: every sound, in its abstraction, is strongly imbued with meanings that can only be unraveled after many listens. The credit (even if the most uncompromising fans do not consider it such) goes entirely to the new singer who proves to be more eclectic than his predecessor and makes his mark on every song. Excellent performance also by the new guitarist, who proves to be perfectly up to par with his companions, known for being impeccable performers. The production, in line with the proposal of this disc, is very clear and clean and does not suffocate any instrument: on the contrary, it enhances all the sounds and in particular manages to enhance the guitar solos, always in line with the "melody" of the songs as per Cryptopsy tradition.

I don't rule out that this CD may not appeal to many genre enthusiasts, especially purists, because it is an unusual album: moreover, I absolutely do not recommend listening to it for those approaching this group for the first time or, even worse, to this type of music. Although it is never excessively unlistenable, "… And Then You'll Beg" is too intricate to be liked immediately, even more so if you are a novice. However, the gist does not change: the work is unusual but of high class. Innovation has a free path even at the expense of the thick darkness that characterized the works with Lord Worm (and which return menacingly in the latest "Once Was Not"). Cerebral and suitable only for connoisseurs, but with a less dark mood that places it a step below the glories of "None So Vile."