Cryptosis: Celestial Death

Cryptosis is a Dutch 3 piece extreme thrash metal act. Celestial Death is their 2nd full- length album, and the follow-up to Bionic Swarm (2021) and The Silent Call EP (2023).

Celestial Death is a very strong album that will rightly get a lot of press and attention. I hear shades of bands like Vektor, Fallujah, and Devin Townsend at various times, with a touch of an almost Blackened approach in their riffing. Cryptosis are definitely on their way to forming a unique identity for themselves.

Celestial Death is a great title for this release, because there is a tangible spacey vibe across the track listing. This is supported by ultra-modern production creating a crystal clear and robotic type sound at times. The tempo and intensity of the riffing has been paired back a little from their debut to give the tracks more space to breathe. The musicianship is strong and the album in enhanced with the presence of a significant amount of synth interludes and arrangements. This synth-heavy approach creates a dark, atmospheric element to Celestial Death...these parts also give the 3-piece a much grander and fuller sound than you’d imagine a 3-piece could have, because the synths are essentially a 4th instrument throughout the entire album.

I enjoy the album quite a lot, although the 11-track run time (9 full tracks with a Prologue and Coda) does seem to meander occasionally. Nevertheless, the high points are as good as anything I’ve heard this year by bands in this sort of wheelhouse (techy, extreme-ish metal). Recommended for fans of this sort of genre.

Track listing
1. Prologue - Awakening
2. Faceless Matter
3. Static Horizon
4. The Silent Call (Version 2024)
5. Ascending
6. Motionless Balance
7. Reign Of Infinite
8. Absent Presence
9. In Between Realities
10. Cryptosphere
11. Coda - Wander Into The Light

Added: April 9th 2025
Reviewer: Chris Reid
Score:
Related Link: Band @ Bandcamp
Hits: 209
Language: english

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