Review: “The Silent Call” by Cryptosis
““The Silent Call” is a thought-provoking glimpse into a world where the lines between reality and artificial control blur, leaving individuals feeling lost and insignificant in the midst of sprawling, concrete jungles we call cities. A hauntingly introspective track that casts a shadow over our human existence. It’s a sonic journey that invites you to contemplate the complexities of modern life and the eerie silence of the unseen forces shaping our world.” ~ Cryptosis
After their critically acclaimed debut album was unleashed in “Bionic Swarm” via Century Media in 2021 it seemed only a matter of time before Dutch Progressive Death Thrash trio Cryptosis began to chase down the crown of Obscura, such were the qualities on display. Reborn as forward-thinking explorers of the Extreme Metal cosmos, seasoned musicians Laurens Houvast (vocals, guitars), Frank te Riet (bass, mellotron, backing vocals) and Marco Prij (drums) have allowed their sound to evolve beyond what it once was in their previous incarnation, their run as Distillator from 2013 to 2020 setting the tone. That album has set the gauge for the next album to “highly anticipated” so you might ask, what is the meaning of this? The answer to that question is open to interpretation and some will consider it something of a stop gap release rather than something to be enjoyed on its own merits. What is clear is that with a new album in the works for 2024 and major European touring plans locked in for March, the band needed something to put them back in the headlines. It’s obvious given the selection here that someone weighed up the options of re-releasing “Bionic Swarm” as a deluxe version, releasing a “Live in Athens” album or releasing “The Silent Call” as an EP with one track from the new album on it and decision was to do the latter…
…so what do we have? Opening cut “The Silent Call” gives us a tension building introduction of dark science fiction toned mellotron and guitars before a bloodcurdling scream from Houvast unleashes the winds of plague and pestilence upon a barren apocalyptic wasteland. A rampaging Extreme Metal affair with Blackened edges and vicious vocals in the first half transcends into a cinematic melancholic instrumental passage in the mid section that sounds nothing short of spellbinding. It sounds like its been inspired by the soundtracks of films like Dune before a slick transition back to the heavier side through with touches of piano in order to create something of truly epic majesty. What’s really interesting is that while it’s no secret that “Master Of Life” is a track left over from the sessions that saw “Bionic Swarm” recorded in 2021, it actually feels like the conjoined twin of the new cut. Once again the pace is such that it raises the hairs on the back of the neck, the riffs flying in all directions as if fired from six shooters in Space Western. The band have managed to capture an unexpectedly bleak quality with the mid section of this one, Prij deserving a lot of credit for his inventive kit performance. Somehow they have managed to tap into Metallica with an obvious lyrical comparison to “Master Of Puppets” and the chants of “Master” however that shouldn’t detract from this being a killer track. That brings us to the pair of cuts recorded live in Athens Greece in “Prospect Of Immortality” and “Transcendence“, which are both very high quality and have clearly had a decent mix and master. A good balance has been struck so that there are moments of crowd noise in the quieter moments without distracting from the flow of the incendiary cuts, the solo on the former a razor wire special. So what has been achieved with the release of “The Silent Call” as an EP? This record serves as a reminder of what Cryptosis are capable of while paving the way for their sophomore album, which on this evidence remains in the “highly anticipated” category [7.5/10]
Track Listing
- The Silent Call
- Master Of Life
- Prospect Of Immortality (Live in Athens)
- Transcendence (Live in Athens)
“The Silent Call” by Cryptosis is out 1st December 2023 via Century Media