21st July 2026

Review: “Cryptomorph” by Embodiment

Having brought Technical Death Metal to the masses as Bloodstock, Tech-Fest and Mammothfest over the past thirteen years, not to mention opening for such household names as Decapitated, The Black Dahlia Murder and Suffocation, the reputation of Bristol natives Embodiment precedes them. It has been six long years since the events of their sophomore album “Palingenesis” and in that time drummer Leslie Preston and bassist Kieran Hogarty have departed. Finding suitable replacements is never easy but in guitarist and vocalist Sam Godding (ex-Ascaris) and drummer Will Pearson (ex-Body Harvest, Dies Holocaustum, Rannoch) original vocalist Harry Smithson and guitarist Harry Smithson have opted for veterans with a wealth of experience to bring to the Kings table. Together the new line up have created EP “Cryptomorph”, an exploration of the collapse of trust, perception, and internal stability in a world shaped by distortion and control four our listening (dis)pleasure, Maxwell producing and mixing in house before mastering by Sine-Post Audio.

The assault on the senses begins with “Jeopardy In Idolatry“, a rampage through the backwoods with a chainsaw that proves that the quartet posses the strength to dominate. Front loaded with groove orientated riffs that have technical nuance, the fret-boards are left smouldering by adrenalized pacing. Moments of Melodic Death Metal style lead and spine juddering rhythms maintain perpetual forward motion as the quartet go for the jugular, the vocals from Smithson savage to the point of being feral. This inhales are like a harsh and malevolent whisper, his roars those of a demonic beast.

An almost cinematic opening to “Resonance Cascade” proves that those leads were more than simply a flash in the pan moment. Clean vocal passages are an interesting move, adding warmth and sing-a-long ability before the illusion is shattered by a return to hitherto unheard levels of depravity in the unclean range. It’s almost as if the band have decided to embrace the cleans to give them an excuse to get wild with the caustic harsh moments and it has to be said that its a risky move that has paid off handsomely. The solo is wonderfully vibrant, the staccato riff breaks in the final moments almost a nostalgic throwback to the heavier end of the 2003 American Metalcore sound.

Staring into the void in a search for answers “Beneath The Skin” has a haunting, forlorn melody, almost ethereal keys and yet more incredible guitar work so for listening you’re rewarded with a depth and texture in abundance. The flames of the lyrical narrative lick the sky once more as Smithson offers up another intense, driven vocal performance, his thoughts spilling out over the microphone like blood from the veins. You just can’t help but want to reach for the lyric sheet after the record fades out, the nature of his words making you want to reflect on their meaning.

A violent storm of percussive battery and barbed riffs makes “As They Spread Their Infection” a monster of a tune, the Progressive Metal soloing in the mid section a vibrant moment of soaring melody that’s wonderfully unexpected. A shaft of light through the swirling black clouds over head, the hope it provides is quickly extinguished by some Slam inspired vocal parts that bring us to evil is brutal fashion. All in all, this record is an absolute ripper from start to finish [9/10]

Track Listing