(DEATHMETAL) Münster-based CRYPTS serve up a bucket of gnarly oldschool Death Metal! Their songs kick off in a wonderfully no-frills manner, with no intro, no nonsense—just straight in, in medias res, with a dry Swedish death metal riff. After its repetition, the fantastic old-school death metal vocals come in, and before you know it, you’re right in the middle of it.

As references, one could easily cite early Morgoth, old Entombed, or even Autopsy and Hail of Bullets. Every genre fan will immediately recognize what that means: this record is pure fun for the discerning „in-your-face“ metalhead. Catchy, solidly played hits like Nuclear Vengeance, Final War, or the title track of the Coven of the Dead album bring everything you could want—midrange-heavy HM-2 tribute guitar tones, a sludgy bass that, thankfully, is clearly audible, and drumming straight from the crypt. Add to that the powerful vocals, and it’s everything I need to be convinced.

What’s particularly noteworthy is that their sound feels very un-digital, meaning it’s genuinely old-school in the best way. Unlike many other modern releases that try too hard for a retro charm, this record reeks of 1992 authenticity (think Dismember!). Every flavor of the genre is covered, from the doom-laden, sludgy intro of Deathking Coronation to the blasting fury of Nuclear Vengeance. There are dissonant chords, killer lead melodies in Final War, a vibraphone intro leading into the dragging title track, and even some Spanish guitar—all used as subtle touches, never veering into excess. Ultimately, the album is just one razor-sharp, relentlessly pummeling riff after another. Frankly, I can’t imagine anyone with more than three death metal records in their collection not enjoying this one.

The contrast between backing screams and lead growls is also very cool. This is an effective metal machine that even crust punks should appreciate. Now you can’t wait to see them live, right?

FFO:

Autopsy, Bolt Thrower, Hail of Bullets, Morgoth, Entombed, Dismember, Obituary, Benediction