25th January 2026

Review: “Under The Cemetery” by Crypt Watcher (1st Annivesary)

Sat in a dark, damp basement torture chamber hell, sipping an ice cold beer and playing some Death Metal riffs multi-instrumentalist Tyler Hoffman wondered just how long it might take to find some like minded musicians to join him so he could fulfil his ambition of opening shows for his favorite bands. Rather than waste precious time, he concluded that recording some of his own compositions in order to show those who might be interested what his ideas were might be his next move. Brutality, despair and grime from beyond the confines of space and time since were all on his mind and thus Crypt Watcher was born in Ann Arbor in Michigan in 2025…

Seemingly taking influence from the golden age of 90’s Florida Death Metal and bands like Deicide, Hoffman begins his debut EP “Under The Cemetery” with a piece of old school sonic sartorial elegance in “Chopped Up Beyond Recognition“. A classic tale as old as time of a person driven to madness who desires nothing more than to kill and kill again with a frenzied blood lust, this one is as tasteful as it is potent. Over 129 seconds, the dark atmosphere bubbles away nicely with bear like death growled vocals accompanying the rhythmic slice and dice, a couple of tasteful tempo shifts working incredibly well to draw you into the unfolding nightmare. Comparisons to bands like Twitch Of The Death Nerve who have similar influences are obvious, especially with Hoffman having a similar vocal style to that of Tom Bradfield. Whats interesting about this record is that it doesn’t sound like the drums are programmed at all because there is nothing mechanical about the sound and no obviously flat cymbal hits, so Hoffman is a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist in the truest of senses.

Flirting with Death Groove “Dead for Centuries” is a headbangers delight and is accomplished to say the least. Bursts of jackhammer footwork, a ripper of a short solo and some punishing vocals are all wrapped up and served with bamboo cutlery as if to prove that Hoffman doesn’t need anyone’s help to make some downright dirty and disgustingly good sounds. Pummelling percussive battery and slick riffs make way for a vicious growl as “Ritual Torture” takes shape, a cut which feels like its going to be a tale from the confessional adjacent to the water boarding room at Guantanamo bay. Instead a protagonist enters the crypt in the dead of night before performing an occult ritual that sounds like kind of thing you’d expect in a Stephen King novel. The downtuned riffs are the glorious twisted vines that grow, crushing rumbling bass and intricate drum fills confirming that Hoffman is a master of all he touches. There is of course one song in “Harbor” that’s not part of this record, the first burnt offering of the Crypt Watcher project. It introduces Hoffman’s ideas while standing apart because it has Melodic Death Metal lead work that gives it the sound of a swash buckling pirate’s tale. Variety is indeed the spice of life and it has something distinctive to offer [7.5/10]

Track Listing