Cryptopsy - The Book of Suffering Tome II
Andrew Hollis
Since the 90’s technical-death metalers Cryptopsy have been setting the bar for extreme music, with the 1996 album None So Vile remaining a landmark many look up to and few match even in the present day. Since then the band has gone through a few changes, with Flo Mounier (drums) remaining the only original member from the None So Vile days. Whilst their sound may have shifted to something people would consider “more palatable” and the production value has greatly increased over the years, Cryptopsy has still stuck to their signature sound with chuggy, teched out riffs, grimy bass interludes and inhuman drums all combined to deliver something akin to a starving, angry three-headed dog jacked up on all sorts steroids, in a musical form. And while I admit that None So Vile remains mine and I’m sure many other fans’ favourite record due to its raw feel thanks to Lord Worm’s ‘insane asylum patient’ vocals and its live-feel production, I can respect newer releases as well, such as this Tome II from the three part Book of Suffering E.P. as much as they might be lacking that feel I believe they are still very good records and just as enjoyable if not in a slightly different way.
The Wretched Living - The band doesn’t waste a lot of time on the eerie intro before firing into the first track, which has good old Cryptopsy written all over it, making it clear once again that they have not deviated from their genre and have remained as heavy as they have ever been. The drummer also does not mess around before going into probably the fastest, most insane double bass groove on the record, setting the bar up high from the start with the rest of the instruments. As well as featuring all out, raw technical skill from all the members, this song has plenty of groove and more nuanced parts from time changes and odd-meters, that are just as impressive and enjoyable to listen to.
Sire of Sin - This was the first single released from Tome II and showcases the overall vibe of the E.P. fairly well. Setting the dark mood with gloomy guitar leads and growling bass it is not long before the listener is thrown into the deep end where Flo demonstrates he has not lost his touch with some blazingly fast blast-beats and tasteful fills. And as if four minutes of this crazy rollercoaster ride wasn’t enough, they decide to throw in a pretty slamming breakdown to perfectly end the song with.
Fear His Displeasure - This was the second single out, branching in a slightly different direction to the first. While ‘Sire of Sin’ was a bit of a throwback to classic Cryptopsy, this song has many more modern elements in it, from a push-pull dynamic intro, stuttering guitar with a kill switch and some more produced bass tones along with some fresh sounding riffs and ideas that aren’t similar to ones you may have heard from them before. Overall a very strong song blending modern and some classic elements to a great effect.
The Laws of The Flesh - This track probably has one of the most badass intros I’ve heard in a Cryptopsy song, which is a shame since this is the last song of the EP. This track also showcases the vocal range of the singer which has been under some criticism by the fans ever since he joined the band, however belting out with everything he’s got on the last song there is no denying he deserves to be in this band. This song also features a pretty damn sick solo, with all the members seemingly saving all the best for this last song with a strong and abrupt finish to The Book of Suffering Tome II that is the ellipsis, sending a message to the listeners that the story is not over, and the final part is yet to come.
9/10
