#apr25 — Public Fediverse posts

Crypts of Despair – We Belong in the Grave Review

By Kenstrosity

When Lithuanian death metal outfit Crypts of Despair dropped All Light Swallowed back in 2021, I was impressed with their destructive riffs, dynamic songwriting, and oppressive tone. The record boasted a never-ending assault of killer passages and memorable atmosphere that, in time, only grew in depth. Unsurprisingly, I felt great excitement at the prospect of a new Crypts of Despair when Transcending Obscurity announced third LP We Belong in the Grave late last year. By that same coin, you can imagine my utter disappointment at what arose from this crypt.

What was once easily categorized as a brutal take on the blackened death metal blueprint now lies in ashes. Today, Crypts of Despair plays a thankfully still brutal take on deathcore. So stark is the difference that at first, I was certain I had mixed up my bands when I picked this up. I was shocked to learn I had not. How this happened, I am uncertain, as only their second guitarist changed between 2021 and 2025. Nonetheless, the ripping tremolos and buttery-smooth songwriting of All Light Swallowed are a thing of the past. In its place, chugging ruts, Deathcore Standard Eerie Background Melodies (DSEBM for short), monotonous guttural roars backed by stereotypical scathing rasps, and what sounds to these ears like a total lack of songwriting identity. I could easily pick Crypts of Despair out of a lineup four years ago. Now, I doubt my ability to discern. At least the pools of skronky death and core from which they pull are decent company—I hear notes of early Nightmarer, AngelMaker, and Fit for an Autopsy peppering We Belong in the Grave. Nonetheless, the stylistic whiplash proved a monumental obstacle to my enjoyment of this new record, an obstacle that vexes me even as I write this piece.

First the positives: Crypts of Despair are still well versed in the way of The Riff™. Early standouts “Terminal Dais” and “Expulsion to Purgatory” offer massively headbangable motifs that are guaranteed to crush the strongest of bone into dust. Back-half heroes “Undisillusioned” and “Precipitous” muster a stompy groove the likes of which threaten the structural integrity of any concert floor, certain to incur considerable repair expenses to any venue. Blackened touches and intimidating background atmosphere still exist in an effort to invoke Crypts of Despair’s apocalyptic character, giving otherwise boilerplate tracks “Obliteration of the Impure” and “Seizures” much-needed flavor. Many such elements are similar on the surface to what Crypts of Despair implemented in the past, but are applied a bit differently now. That’s not a bad thing, as it showcases Crypts of Despair’s willingness to experiment with their sound and grow accustomed to unexplored sonic territory.

The unfortunate piece of that journey here is the total lack of songwriting that came along for the ride. Even decent tracks like “Seizures” struggle to impress upon the listener a sense of story, character development, or substance. Opener “We Belong in the Grave” constitutes a dire misfire, feeling every bit as fluffy and forgettable as your average throwaway instrumental intro, and yet it is a fully equipped “song.” The problem is that it lacks any sort of distinguishing characteristics or movement to earn it the moniker. The same critique can be extended to the closing duo “Gaze of the Adversary” and “Burial of the World.” Neither exhibits any evidence of a fully fleshed-out idea, instead spinning their wheels deeper and deeper into the mucky byproduct of wasted time. The production reflects this lack of depth as well, imposingly loud and deeply polished with flat, modern tones that feel at odds with Crypts of Despair’s mission statement up to this point.

One thing that remains untouched: Crypts of Despair are as livid as ever at humanity writ large. And they are right to be, for any number of reasons! That said, nothing much else remains intact after this updated set of sonic, visual, and engineering aesthetics bulldozed what was once a powerful, distinct, and compelling identity. We Belong in the Grave represents a band trying something different and making a real effort to make an unfamiliar style work in their image. It also represents a band failing to back that new sound up with the same elevated songwriting that made All Light Swallowed a triumph. For those who enjoy the chugging breakdowns and mid-paced monotony of cookie-cutter deathcore, this might be a step up from what populates that rotation. Otherwise, if you are familiar with Crypts of Despair, prepare to despair. This adjustment is going to hurt.

Rating: Disappointing
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Transcending Obscurity Records
Websites: cryptsofdespair.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/cryptsofdespair
Releases Worldwide: April 18th, 2025

#20 #2025 #AngelMaker #Apr25 #CryptsOfDespair #DeathMetal #Deathcore #FitForAnAutopsy #LithuanianMetal #Nightmarer #Review #Reviews #TranscendingObscurityRecords #WeBelongInTheGrave

Epica – Aspiral Review

By Kenstrosity

Since their founding in 2002, Epica garnered my everlasting adoration as my absolute favorite symphonic metal band, followed by other household names like Nightwish and After Forever. However, unlike the overwhelming majority of their ilk, Epica’s music bares sharper teeth, maintains a stronger connection to the greater pantheon of metal and its more extreme fringes, and remains to this day the most consistent in quality album to album. Few symphonic bands celebrating over 20 years of uninterrupted activity exhibit these characteristics. Consequently, my anticipation for Aspiral soars in my trust that Epica could never let me down, grounded by a great anxiety that one day, they just might.

The sigh of relief I let out after my first spin of Aspiral could be heard around the world. Brimming with drama, loaded with hooks, and laser-focused on delivering passionate, energetic songs, Epica’s ninth opus sees every member of this remarkably stable1 Dutch sextet operating in rare form. Running for bang-on one hour, Aspiral follows the classic Epica blueprint: epic, opulent symphonic metal informed by prog and power, and grazed across the cheek by death’s bony phalanges. However, new accoutrements and novel structures showcase a group exploring the boundaries of their sound with a gentle growth indicative of a collective eager to play and learn. While this never leaves any of these 11 songs unrecognizable as an Epica piece by any means, these admittedly light risks allow Aspiral to shine as a late career highlight.

Aspiral, first and foremost, is a triumph of performance in music. As the world already knows, lead siren Simone Simons is a powerhouse, her voice only getting better with time (“Obsidian Heart,” “Apparition,” “The Grand Saga of Existence—A New Age Dawns Part IX”). However, a delightful surprise, Mark Jansen’s immediately recognizable growl and scream rips across the record with a palpable presence and rabid tone (“Metanoia—A New Age Dawns Part XIII,” “Eye of the Storm,” “The Grand Saga of Existence”). Ariën van Weesenbeek’s incredible drumming steals the show all over the place, too, whether in the service of creating additional interest inside breakdowns and riffs (“Arcana”); by driving transitions smoothly between faster freakouts and slower spells (“T.I.M.E.,” “Apparition”); or when manifesting a groovy beat that all but guarantees remembrance (“Obsidian Heart,” “Fight to Survive—The Overview Effect,” “Apparition”). Thankfully, Mark Jansen’s and Isaac Delahaye’s axework keeps up, injecting oodles of fun leads and riffs (“Cross the Divide,” “Darkness Dies in Light—A New Age Dawns Part VII”) and quite a number of killer solos (“Apparition,” “Eye of the Storm”). Even Rob van der Loo’s bass guitar gets to shine a bit more, too, though he’s still a bit difficult to spot sometimes—a clear point of improvement for future records. And of course, Coen Janssen’s orchestrations need no introduction, but his gorgeous choirs in particular make a huge impression this time around (“T.I.M.E.”).

Of course, all of those performances would mean nothing without great songs in which to showcase them. Thankfully, Aspiral is loaded with pieces that live rent-free in my head. Hits like “Cross the Divide,” “Arcana,” the VOLA-esque “Obsidian Heart,” “Apparition,” the energetic “Eye of the Storm,” and beautiful penultimate epic “The Grand Saga of Existence” compete viciously for top spot as the album progresses—to the point that I always feel I’m giving the wrong answer when I call any one of them my favorite. Moreover, despite Aspiral’s adventurous and exuberant spirit, the whole feels cohesive, well-conceived, and smartly arranged. Even instrumental moments that threaten to derail my attention, like the initially questionable breakdowns in “Arcana” and “Fight to Survive,” get scooped right up by Mark’s and Isaac’s clever leads, Ariën’s kit wizardry, and Coen’s uplifting orchestrations. This, in turn, creates a dynamic experience that evokes a range of actions and reactions, logical progressions of story, and thoughtful decorations which make repeat spins valuable to invested listeners.

There’s so much more I can say about Aspiral, but as I continue to overwrite, I want to leave with a couple of notes. Firstly, while it occupies an ideal placement in the tracklist, delicate closer “Aspiral” might be the one song that meanders too long, creating a spot of bloat at the tail end. Secondly, I was hoping to hear more of the extremity that Epica unexpectedly unleashed on “Human Devastation” from their The Alchemy Project EP. I recognize that it was a one-off collaboration, but I do hear little hints of its beastly spirit in places here, and I crave more of it now that I know that Epica are willing to engage with it. Finally, Aspiral, flaws and all, made it impossible for me to go back to previous records as a point of comparison, because its pull is just too strong. Every impulse to pick up something else instead resulted in withdrawals, followed by yet another ravenous draught of Aspiral.2 If that’s not the making of a Great record, I don’t know what is.

Rating: Great!
DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: Stream [Stop This!]
Label: Nuclear Blast
Websites: epica.nl | facebook.com/epica
Releases Worldwide: April 11th, 2025

Show 2 footnotes

1. They’ve kept the same lineup since 2012! ↩
2. And this promo was a shitty stream! ↩

#2025 #40 #AfterForever #Apr25 #Aspiral #DutchMetal #Epica #Nightwish #NuclearBlast #PowerMetal #ProgressiveDeathMetal #ProgressiveMetal #Review #Reviews #SymphonicMetal #VOLA