Cryptopsy
The Unspoken King

Here is the most emblematic and criticized album by "Cryptopsy" since 2008 until today. I wanted to review it trying to give an opinion that doesn't devolve into mere insult, as often has happened. Let's start by saying that "The Unspoken King" had the responsibility to not disappoint the fans for whom "None So Vile" occupied the top 5 favorite albums. An impossible task given the work it represents. Because of this, accusations and backlashes rained down like fire. This might be what an "angry brutal fan" thinks, given the decline in style. But it is far from a review.

Having said that, let's analyze the songs: it starts with "Worship Your Demons", a very brutal track, with frantic tempos, violent, even if not in the old "Cryptopsy" style, but still with a good dose of angry brutality. In the middle and towards the end of the song, Flo begins to hit us hard with a destructive gravity roll. The guitars are also good, not at all underwhelming. Then we move to "The Headsmen" , which doesn't give us time to breathe, starting immediately harsh, but then declining into a rather banal riff that has little to do with brutal and flirts a lot with metalcore. The singer (we're used to Lord Worm) doesn't deliver anything new or any emotion. Notable is the break in full "Cryptopsy" style, leading to a very "buzzing" riff. Finally, it resumes with the metalcore riff, and the song closes.

Next is "Silence The Tyrants", where you begin to see the real abyss, blast beats almost disappeared, riffs less and less death, aiming to "appear" heavy but really saying very little. And the first clean vocals appear. It all ends with a few piano notes that could have been spared, and once again down with the metalcore riffs. Here we go, "Bemoan The Martyr", it starts with an intro that can be fitting (from who knows what other part though), and then it explodes into a singing style that can only be described as syrupy and annoying. After, it seems like it's about to start something less poor, but one is quickly disillusioned as it resumes with very banal riffs, utterly lacking in brutality (sorry if I repeat myself, but that's precisely what's been missing here), and that odious singing reappears packaging a piece to forget. It restarts with a "one, two, three". What a sadness. Blasts now practically absent for three tracks, which here make a half appearance just to avoid being told off. Then, save yourselves, it's the turn of the new singer who delights us with his clean vocals, which can barely be described as caramel-like. A nice solo that's also quite in tune with the song. It ends with those ten seconds of an angry part (not brutal, let's not get confused) they occasionally gift us. Shall we continue?

The desire to turn everything off and start pounding our ears with "None So Vile" to forget everything is strong, but let's move on. The "Bring Me The Horizon" orphan (or whoever you prefer) returns by continuing to introduce this inexplicably unnecessary clean singing. There are even some salvageable guitar ideas, but by now the "Cryptopsy" have disappeared, a confused mix of guitars and melodic vocals worthy of the worst "Avenged Sevenfold". Continuing, we have "Resurgence Of An Empire", starting with a fairly evocative intro, supported by those four piano keys dared to be played by "Mortisia". For the delight of the brave listeners, some blast beats peek through, backed by guitars riffing very menacingly (almost in the old way), even if by now we must grow accustomed to considering them sporadic interludes lasting no more than a few seconds. Indeed, after a bit, the singer brings us back to reality, intoning something in a syrupy clean, and to top it off with a quick but pitiful skeletal structure laid down by Flo. Moving on, we find "Anoint The Dead", starting much harsher than the standards we had become accustomed to, and not devolving into vocals worthy of a children's choir. Given these "qualities," it doesn't last more than 3 minutes.

Approaching the end with "Contemplate Regicide" , even if here, unfortunately, we are not free from the clean vocals of the young Matt, despite regaining some blast beats from Flo. From a guitar point of view, it isn't exciting but you can still find some noteworthy ideas. Our guys attempt a break that almost naturally devolves into a heart-rending sob of McGachy. We are almost done, here is "Bound Dead" where the six Canadians, with flirtatious and sly riffs, try to regain something, although by now we are aware of moving within a semi-metalcore field. But if that's the genre, the song isn't completely disappointing. From the middle of the song, like medicine, the children's choir reappears. The album could very well end here, but the band, now a shadow of the "Cryptopsy," thinks it better to finish with a kind of track that says really little or nothing "(Exit) The Few". Two minutes of nothing.

Flo Mounier: Technical level always impressive, although with less originality than previous works. Blast beats now forgotten. As the last remaining founder, he makes a poor show in the lousy choice of new members. He even cut his hair. The ship sinks along with the captain. Rating: 6

Alex Auburn: Uninspired guitars when working seriously, and regarding the rest, poor quality metalcore. Something better comes in the solos. Notable technique but does not compensate at all for the void left by Lavasseur. Rating: 5

Eric Langlois: Historic bassist, technically has few rivals, but unfortunately, in this record, plays quite a marginal role compared to what we were used to. Radically changes the approach to the instrument, managing though to pull something good out. Rating: 6 and 1/2

Christian Donaldson: Useless choice from a musical point of view, gave nothing good to the group. Terrible acquisition. Says nothing anywhere. Is Auburn's shadow, which says it all. Rating: 4

Matt McGachy: The seed of discord, the least appropriate singer could not have been chosen. When trying to do scream and growl has a strained voice, not at all full, but still at more or less acceptable levels. The worst comes with the clean, syrupy, annoying, and at the limit of ridiculous. Rating: 3

Maggie Durand: Inserted just for equal opportunity, she wouldn't even deserve to be named, has an insignificant role, and on those rare appearances she makes, spoils with tasteless keyboards. Probably chosen more for sexual and not musical tastes. Non-existent. Rating: 1

In conclusion, "The Unspoken King" turns out to be an album that does not meet the "Cryptopsy" expectations, but fits well in a much lower-level musical scene. Some nice moments, technically still at high standards, and the name (and yes, saying "Cryptopsy" still has a certain effect) save it from pure lashing. We can talk about a disappointment. Not even for experimenting with new musical directions, as the path they embarked on has already been proposed countless times in all its forms. Given the line-up, it's not easy to hope for a recovery. The brutal fans bid farewell to the dear old "Cryptopsy", ready to be welcomed with open arms by the purer fans of the metal scene. Sorry for the long review, but I wanted to be precise and express my opinions on this album comprehensively and exhaustively, often reviewed exclusively with ridicule, insults, and nothing else. Out of ten, I give it a 5, but since with stars it would equate to 2 and a half stars, to be generous I give it a 3. For those who want to be harsh, consider it a 2.