Review: “Weight Of Eternity” by Chronepsis

A terrifying collection of tales of ancient entities, enraged warriors and hideous monsters from multiple realms has been put to music by Chronepsis, a New Jersey melodic Technical Death Metal act formed as recently as 2023. Taking their name from the dragon god of fate, death and judgment in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, they don’t like to restrict themselves in their bloodstained cryptic writings, dabbling with blackened and progressive elements during the creation of their signature sound. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Erik Johnson (Vivid Dark, Weighing In) at Dark Prophet Audio, they claim that “Weight of Eternity” is a record engulfed in themes of horror, conquest, vengeance and transformation culminating in a blood-curdling assault that embodies the darkest corners of human emotion…

Those responsible for this sonic abomination are a rhythm section of drummer Eric Cuffari and bassist Gavin Miele, vocalist Chris Curtis and axe wielding duo Torr Walker and Mike Kelliher, the half an hour of power beginning with “Envenomed Grey Matter“. Curtis has something of a split personality on this one, able to create a pair of distinctly different voices to give the effect of a pair of vocalists when there is in fact one; the first being a shriller, more raspy tone while the second is brutal death growl. Wrapped around those vocals are the chains of humanity in electrifying lead riffs that feel like lightening bolts from a wrathful god, underpinned by pummelling percussion and staccato riff breaks of spine juddering proportions. The interplay between the elements has been astonishingly well crafted, setting the tone for a mind blowing record painted in blood at breakneck speed. It becomes obvious as “Lacerating the Vultures Tongue” plays out that Johnson has nailed a clean and crisp drum sound so you can hear every little nuance of each cleverly constructed performance from Cuffari, who isn’t afraid to blast his way out at any given moment. The lead guitar work from Kelliher is as stunning as it is flamboyant however the key is that he never gets carried away, stopping himself from going all out virtuoso and losing the momentum created by the punishing rhythms that his incredible melodies overlay. Hints of Progressive and even Power Metal creep into the sonic textures of “Desperation of the Sacred Realm” with more mesmerising speed riffing, the ferocity of the vocals from Curtis alongside the thunderous drumming from Cuffari ensuring we’re not dragged kicking and screaming into DragonForce territory. Curtis offers up a couple of moments of pure evil on this one, his demonic throat splitting performances threatening to make the ears bleed.

Some quirky riffs in “Well Fed Hexahedron” perhaps suggest that Chronepsis may have the abilities to produce something a little more avant-garde in the future but for now they sound like the bastard brothers of Allegaeon and Archspire as they cause fretboards to smoulder. A true force of nature to be reckoned with the New Jersey quintet drank from the poison well and have not only become immune but empowered, demonstrating what hours spent in the rehearsal space can achieve when you put your collective minds to it. If the opening quartet of tracks weren’t intense enough, “Beheading of the Neolithic Crowns” feels like everything has been dialled up a notch, proving that the Technical Death Metal quintet have even more to offer than initially meets the ear. A blistering performance of scorching proportions, this one leaves no stone unturned in the pursuit of perfection. How they have put these majestic leads over a rhythmic performance of such electrifying energy is incredible, the levels of musicianship defying the odds with every twist and turn. That complexity doesn’t however mean the record isn’t fun, in fact quite the opposite as there are still plenty of mosh and circle pit worthy moments, including the start of the brutal assault on the senses that is “Orb of the Deathless Watcher“. The kind of grand finale that the term was coined for, this one is not only as restless and relentless as the rest but a lethal dose of American hatred to boot. A galloping mid section fails to create any kind of sense of security as you’re kept on the edge of your seat throughout, Curtis finding a third voice to give us something akin to Randy Blythe in his prime before switching back to something more demonic. Some bands only manage one song of the level of the six of these on an album, which should tell you all you need to know about just how good this is [9/10]

Track Listing

1. Envenomed Grey Matter
2. Lacerating the Vultures Tongue
3. Desperation of the Sacred Realm
4. Well Fed Hexahedron
5. Beheading of the Neolithic Crowns
6. Orb of the Deathless Watcher

“Weight Of Eternity” by Chronepsis is out 4th April 2025 and is available over at bandcamp.