Review CRYPTOSIS “Celestial Death”

Some of you may be familiar with Distillator, a thrash metal band formed in 2013 in Enschede, The Netherlands. Distillator released two full length albums and a split release with German thrash metal force Space Chaser, before the guys changed their name to Cryptosis. With the new name came a more technical approach to their thrash metal, which could be experienced on the first album under the new banner. “Bionic Swarm” combined aggressiveness and a multi-layered musical direction. And what could be better than combining both with a futuristic concept.

The debut album was quite successful and four years later the Dutch trio is back with their next longplayer “Celestial Death”. The new album picks up where the band left off with “Bionic Swarm” and at the same time shows a bigger step forward. It feels like the three guys have grown when it comes to songwriting, as the new material sounds more complete, as if it’s more than just a combination of riffs and fragments.

What’s similar to the debut is the start of the latest effort. It’s a cinematic intro that sets the stage for the album. “Prologue – Awakening” has a certain dystopian feel that swings with every note before giving way to “Faceless Matter”. The first full-length song is a great starting point with all the trademarks being present. There are dense soundscapes combined with a faster tempo and the hoarse vocals of Laurens Houvast. Equipped with a few twists the song shows the development of the band and although it is somewhat complex the song allows the listener to get into the music from the first listen.

“Static Horizon” is a massive and majestic thrash metal track with electrifying layers. The atmospheric “The Silent Call”, a reworked version of the song from the 2023 EP, is certainly not silent, but roars loud, and as on the debut, there is also an interlude on the list too. Cryptosis make good use of this element, as it breaks the furious metal approach and creates a counterpart to the raging songs. “Motionless Balance” is the title of this galactic interlude before “Reign of Infinity” tears you out of the cosmic dream world.

One of my favorite songs on the album is “Absent Presence”. Starting out quiet and somber, the song gradually develops into a heavy riff monster. The song doesn’t rely on blazing speed. It is a slower paced song that expresses despair and pain, mostly through the intense vocals. While sticking to the basic pattern, the song also shows the versatility of Cryptosis. “Absent Presence”, one of the best songs the band has ever written.

In the lower part of the tracklist there is a song called “Crytosphere” which shows the dramatic aspect of Cryptosis music. After an atmospheric beginning the song turns into a massive metal outburst with high speed parts and blistering solo sections before “Coda – Wanderer into the Light” is a further highlight. It’s more of a three minute outro that fits perfectly at the end of the tracklist.

Cryptosis have developed over the last few years and with “Celestial Death” they deliver a mature and furious thrash metal album. It is the cosmic theme, the furious thrash metal roots and the passion for details and layers that make this release a great album that will provide much more than just short term entertainment.