UMUR
"Life in Grave" is a demo cassette tape release by US, California based crossover thrash thrash metal act Cryptic Slaughter. The demo was independently released in 1985. Cryptic Slaughter formed in 1984 and "Life in Grave" is their first and only demo release before being signed to Metal Blade Records for the release of their debut full-length studio album "Convicted (1986)". The original cassette tape demo is probably hard to get these days, but the material from "Life in Grave" are featured as bonus material on the re-issue of "Convicted (1986)".
Stylistically the material on the 5 track, 12:54 minutes long demo is fast-paced and aggressive crossover thrash metal/hardcore. A valid contemporary reference is The Accüsed, but Cryptic Slaughter are generally much faster, more aggressive, and intense in their delivery, and I´m therefore also at times reminded of the savage energy and raw aggression of the early releases by German thrash metal acts like Kreator and Destruction, just in a hardcore oriented version. So buckle up and let Cryptic Slaughter beat you to a bloody pulp. The highly energetic performance and the aggression and pace of the music invites you to mosh around and break things. I´m completely out of breath when "Life in Grave" is over and I feel like I could sleep a week.
The music consists of fast-paced drumming, fast hardcore/primitive thrash riffs, and the caustic snarling vocals of lead vocalist/bassist Bill Crooks in front. The attitude of the whole thing is rotten and beastly. Despite featuring a relatively raw and lo-fi sounding production job, "Life in Grave" is still one fo the more intense and powerful demo releases I´ve yet encountered and a 3.5 star (70%) rating is fully deserved.