Cryptopsy
Blasphemy Made Flesh

THE REVIEW

Year 1995, the Canadians Cryptopsy release their first full-length after the demo “Ungentle Exhumation,” recorded the previous year. Deeply influenced by their fellow countrymen Gorguts and, more generally, by all the early '90s American Brutal Death, they compose ten tracks that are quite varied among themselves, characterized by good technical skill (though far from the virtuosity of later albums) and relatively catchy.

The unclear production and, in my opinion, too little compression, penalizes the five by presenting muddled and indistinct guitar sounds. Noteworthy are the bass breaks present in songs like “Defenestration” and “Gravaged” which will become a constant in subsequent albums. The loved-hated singer Lord Worm uses a very guttural voice that makes the album darker but might initially seem out of place.

The lyrics focus on themes dear to the genre (death, necrophilia etc.) treated with unique dark humor, although, as the title already suggests, about a third are blasphemous and aimed at the wildest iconoclasm (amazing that of “Mutant Christ”). Even if alongside masterpieces of the genre (like “Effigy Of The Forgotten” by Suffocation or “Butchered At Birth” by Cannibal Corpse) this album might seem like a pleasant substitute, I believe it is nonetheless a good Brutal Death album, well-played with a massive dose of nastiness and compositional ability.

Above all, it’s a good way to enter the musical world of Cryptopsy, which in later, much more technical and complex albums, becomes almost unapproachable without prior training. In conclusion, I would recommend this album both to enthusiasts of the band, who will appreciate its genuine and immediate character, and to fans of more classic and traditional Death, as well as to those looking for something more original without venturing into more innovative territories. “Blasphemy Made Flesh,” in fact, well combines the trinomial: personal style-classic canons-originality.