Blasphemy Made Flesh - Cryptopsy

Following on from their demo 'Ungentle Exhumation', Cryptopsy's 1994 debut album 'Blasphemy Made Flesh' is a solid and uncompromising if less than stunningly innovative death metal album, which alternates passages of very fast blasting with jazzy guitars and drums that Swedish peers Insison would later pick up on with mid-paced chugging sections full of crunchy riffs and deep grooves. The band does not deviate through this formula throughout, and some of the songs can sound rather samey, but it still remains a hugely energetic and impressively technical listen. Flo Mournier's drums are the most impressive aspect of the album, consisting of extremely fast yet varied ...  Read the complete review

Deservedly overlooked in the Cryptopsy canon, the Canadian death metal band's debut album is comparatively simplistic and lacking in ideas, though still an effective display of uncompromising, vile and extremely energetic death metal. The poor sound quality is a real hindrance to these songs and renders them less memorable as a result, the majority of guitar riffs being audible only as a fuzz above the thudding and tinkling of the drum kit. The bass guitar is surprisingly prominent at times, but this is similarly detrimental; plucking proudly away over the white noise of the other instruments, it actually made me laugh the first time round, which isn't exactly ...  Read the complete review