CRYPTOSIS
Celestial Death
Century Media Records
Photo Credit: Maaike Ronhaar
CRYPTOSIS Levels Up...And It's Epic
CRYPTOSIS isn't just back, they've kicked the door down and set it on fire. The Dutch progressive thrash trio that blew us away with Bionic Swarm in 2021 returns with Celestial Death, a record that's heavier, darker, and straight-up colossal. If you thought their debut was intense, this one cranks everything up, layering cinematic ferocity over their signature technical chaos. It's the kind of album that grabs you by the throat and drags you into its sonic abyss.
Where Bionic Swarm felt like being thrown into a mechanical dystopia, Celestial Death is more like being jacked into a neon-drenched, high-tech nightmare, where circuits burn and data streams bleed into chaos. The band has stretched their sound to its limits, weaving in blackened atmospheres, glitch-ridden textures, and a surprising melodic punch. The result? A record that's equally crushing and immersive, like a sonic journey through the underbelly of a cyberpunk metropolis.
Bassist Frank te Riet sums it up perfectly:
"This record has a much darker atmosphere. We learned how to create complete songs, not just combine riffs."
Yeah, it shows, and it hits like a sledgehammer from the very first note.
The album opens with "Prologue - Awakening", a haunting instrumental that simmers with synth-driven dread and ghostly choirs echoing through a desolate, neon-lit wasteland. It's the eerie calm before the digital storm, a storm that shatters the fragile remnants of humanity.
The two lead singles, "Faceless Matter" and "Reign of Infinite", capture the album's plunge into dystopian terror. "Faceless Matter" throws us into a grim future where individuality dissolves into a collective void, as if every person were just another faceless node in a sprawling, machine-driven network. In the band's own words:
"With "Faceless Matter", we unveil our new opus Celestial Death. The track brings a darker, heavier, and symphonic assault welcome to the new era of CRYPTOSIS."
This track is a relentless torrent of thrash riffs, symphonic undertones, and chilling narratives; a musical manifestation of the horror of losing oneself to a homogenized, mechanized existence.
In contrast, "Reign of Infinite" crashes in like an unstoppable cybernetic tempest. With frostbitten tremolo riffs and punishing double bass drums, it conjures the rise of a new, malevolent deity: a digital overlord presiding over a frozen dystopia. Hypnotic, swirling guitar lines cut through the chaos, evoking a suffocating dread reminiscent of a Blade Runner nightscape, while symphonic layers add a cold, industrial depth. Together, these tracks signal CRYPTOSIS' evolution, fusing thrash's raw aggression with black metal's icy, apocalyptic intensity.
As the album unfolds, tracks like "Static Horizon" and "The Silent Call" widen its dystopian canvas. "Static Horizon" delivers a ceaseless assault of blackened thrash, its frenetic riffs and ritualistic energy painting a picture of a ruined cityscape where hope flickers like dying neon. Meanwhile, "The Silent Call" masterfully balances brutality and melancholic beauty, weaving orchestral elements into the chaos without ever losing its savage edge.
By the time you reach "In Between Realities", you're fully immersed in CRYPTOSIS' harsh, wastelandish world; a relentless, frostbitten onslaught that drags you through a digital nightmare. This track's blistering tremolo riffs and galloping rhythms evoke the cold, mechanical pulse of a dystopian metropolis, where every beat is a reminder of existential decay.
Yet, this is not an album of endless fury. "Absent Presence" shows a masterful restraint, blending atmospheric soundscapes with punishing heaviness, while "Cryptosphere" unleashes one final thrash assault laced with symphonic flourishes. Then, just when you think the chaos is over, the album closes with "Coda - Wander Into The Light", a mournful, reflective outro that leaves you suspended in the void, a final, haunting glimpse of beauty amid the desolation.
Recorded at Studio Moon Music in Utrecht and mixed by Fredrik Folkare, the production is razor-sharp, clean enough to highlight the complexity but never losing the raw edge that metal demands. The sound is vast and layered, with every riff, scream, and orchestral swell given room to breathe.
Eliran Kantor's artwork perfectly captures the album's cosmic horror vibes, with a cover that's as unsettling as it is stunning. It's a visual gateway into the album's themes of existential collapse and cosmic dread, complementing the music's dark, tortured atmosphere.
Celestial Death isn't just an album, it's an experience. CRYPTOSIS has crafted something that's both ferocious and immersive, demanding your full attention. Sure, the seamless flow between tracks might make it harder for casual listeners to pick out individual standouts on the first spin, but trust me: give it time, and this record unfolds like a dark universe.
For fans of progressive thrash with a blackened edge, Celestial Death isn't just a must-listen it's a must-feel. And honestly? It's one hell of a ride.
Standout Tracks: "Faceless Matter", "The Silent Call", "In Between Realities"
For Fans Of: VEKTOR, REVOCATION, and anyone who loves their metal with brains, brawn, and a side of cosmic dread.
4.0 Out Of 5.0
