CRYPTOPSY — The Unspoken King (review)

CRYPTOPSY — The Unspoken King album cover

Album · 2008 · Deathcore

4/5 · 2024-06-29
SalamiDickDeath

The Unspoken King is EASILY Cryptopsy's best album.

I came into the Cryptopsy fold with "Once Was Not" and was absolutely blown away. It's a maddening display of Cryptopsy's idiosyncratic Death Metal ways. I adore each and every Cryptopsy album. "The Unspoken King" simply has the most to offer. Other than Jon Levasseur's solos it has everything and more that the other albums have. Clean vocals, more groove and like 37 seconds of keyboards.

I am firm believer that when a band moves in one direction or another this is how you grow and keep things interesting. Making the same album 5 times is incredibly boring. To me this is a pretty decent jump in the forward moving progression of their sound though not wildly so (its not like they are rapping or playing ballads). For the life of me I cannot figure out who in gods name could consider this Deathcore. One of the very few genres I really can't get into at very least for the steroidal vocals and the simpleton breakdowns accompanied by a computer assisted bass drop in practically every goddamn song. Absolutely none of which is found on this pulverizing album.

Its more raging Death Metal at insane speeds with the best vocalist yet. Inhuman alternate picking, palm muting, tremolo picking, blastbeating, insane shred solos with sweeps and all the other Death Metal hallmarks. Plus the wickedly audible bass Cryptopsy has always lead the way with.

"Worship Your Demons" opens the album with a wildly aggressive blast beat that leads to a classic Cryptopsy style riff where guitar and bass are equally heard. The whole song screams Cryptopsy with the lead guitar shining by way of sweeps and tapping. Then "The Headsmen" comes in swinging hard with straight Cryptopsian attitude and simply tortured vocals. Ending with one of the shortest but coolest solo's since "None So Vile". After some cool Punk style riffing in "Anoint The Dead" it also lays waste to the fretboard with a solo of the highest order. "Leach" too opens with a Punk style riff followed by some classic speedy ass tremolo riffing.

Yes there is a sorta spoken word deal going on in "The Headsmen" and in the background of "Bemoan The Martyr", not at all far removed from "Pestilence That Walketh In Darkness" from the previous album. Which Lord Worm uses over a catchy chorus riff later in the song. The difference is that Matt can actually sing and does a badass but brief job of doing so on this ("Bemoan") and a few other tracks.

"The Plauged" and "Bound Dead" also have actual singing. Matt's vocal range is stunningly impressive and is tragically shorted to just this album thanks to the meat-headed blowback from neckbeards and hipsters screaming "sellouts". When the reality is Cryptopsy has enormous balls for taking such an artistic leap that is far and away the most memorable album.

"Contemplate Regicide" opens up with a very heavy yet groovy riff hauling balls and then goes into some tremolo picking and back to the groove before a mid-paced & highly catchy riff opens up with some gritty, clean vocals. This is followed by a brief piano interlude which adds a delightfully dark atmosphere. Ending on another killer solo. "Silence The Tyrants" also makes use of these atmospheric keys to great effect. The album ends on a pretty cool Faith No more style instrumental.

They have always had a Punk attitude tied into their Death Metal riffing style as well as finding a way to squeeze groove into insanely speedy riffing. The whole 5 minutes of singing on an album that's just under an hour. Plus the 2 songs with VERY brief keyboards does not make this album Deathcore. It's a Cryptopsy album in everyway considering the fact that they have always progressed in some way from one album to the next.

I still await the day they open the gates for Matts full vocal range to be unleashed upon the Feral Death Metal (the true genre they should be filed under) songs they craft. Until then 3 Mile Scream will fulfill some of my desires.