“Beyond The Celestial” is the newest demo
from UK extreme metal band Crÿptic Shift. Though it offers just two tracks,
there is plenty of material here to enjoy. In fact, this demo is features an
absurd number of riffs, each and every one of which will induce immediate neck
trauma. The band doesn’t play at full speed for the entirety of the
demo, but they do serve up some pretty absurd tempos. Their riffing style is
abstract, and unlike anything I’ve ever heard. “Voyage Through Dimensions” in
particular has a riff that starts out like an extreme thrashy riff and then
ends with a technical, modern-day Cannibal Corpse-styled riff. If that
description made little to no sense, it really is a perfect description then;
at times, this demo gets downright weird. The aforementioned track also
features plenty of riffs that are harmonized, and at times, some of these sections
sound like the guitars are competing against each other, rather than working together.
Aside from the weirdness of this band,
Crÿptic Shift does provide more normal metal elements. The vocals are a
death/black hybrid-sounding rasp, with more than enough aggression to suit the
music. The drumming is stellar, coming up with some unique patterns (see the
intro of “Voyage Through Dimensions” for the best example). The bass playing is
difficult to hear (except for when neither guitar is playing anything on the
low end), but that is more of a function of the production, which admittedly is
not the best. This album is noisy, and it will take a few listens to really
decipher what is happening. In that respect, it actually reminds me of early
Voivod, which might also be an apt comparison for the general sound of this
band. They use interesting chords and dissonant sounds to take familiar metal
tropes and put their own spin on them. While more Crÿptic Shift is extreme than
Voivod, they share that same twisted vision.
Highlight
"Voyage Through Dimensions"
Final Rating
3.9/5 or 78%.
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