Dwelling on the past will never, ever change anything. Sulk all you like but when a band that was so important and so vital in the formation of modern day death metal comes along with a record so alien to their former glories it can be a bitter, bitter pill to swallow. Even if the new direction isn’t as sacrilegious as the purists have been proclaiming but is still not quite the record that a band as experienced and revered as Cryptopsy should be making at this point in their career.

Although The Unspoken King, is stronger in the areas that its predecessor was flawed in (hammy production, a weakened Lord Worm, at times meandering, aimless song writing) when you sit back, digest fully and then objectively observe what has unfolded before your ears, the verdict is obvious, its not only not what you expected, its not what you truly wanted.

Aesthetically it’s so much stronger. Flo’s drums clatter, smash and roll with relentless thunder and there is plenty of earth shattering chug and squeal presented in the album’s seething guitar work, all of which is beautifully captured in a glistening, shiny production which enunciates every passage of the album. But, and this is not just any but, it’s a colossal one, it just seems that the sheer weight and overwhelming presence that flowed throughout Cryptopsy’s previous works is no longer present. The opening one two of ‘Worship Your Demons,’ and ‘The Headsmen,’ come cascading out the blocks relentlessly and seem to suggest that the legendary Canucks are back to crush all. 

Despite this, the replay value, is decidedly lacking, and each new spin doesn’t reveal new layers of intricacy that was such a feature of previous compositions but instead, blossoms a nagging, pinching doubt that neither of these two numbers, even when combined together can match ‘Crown of Horns,’ or ‘Emaciate,’ for their bludgeoning, opening impact.

Thus, there in lies a salient problem, given our nature as music listeners we are almost defined deterministically to refer back to the past, to rate the current against the former. That though is not just expected but habit, and is present in pretty much all aspects of life, but one cannot be left wondering, that if these thoughts are buzzing around your head, then what the hell what Cryptopsy thinking when penning The Unspoken King?’  Furthermore, you would have thought that remembering their legacy would have been paramount, as it seemed this was the case as each new opus (until ‘Once was Not,’) surpassed its precursor.

However, it’s by taking this cynical train of thought that the fundamental problems presented by this record are revealed and a dramatic conclusion is unearthed, this being if you were to subtract the name Cryptopsy from this equation, the end impression and feeling towards The Unspoken King, would be inherently different.

Anyway, enough digression, this point can wait till the end, as another more pressing matter has to be addressed. This being that clean singing does not (and this is key) belong in the most extreme stratum of death metal, you can get away it within the more melodic realms, but when it comes to head caving brutality, it does not belong.

Fair enough, new vocalist Matt McGachy proves he can spit raw venom competently enough in the first two numbers and then demonstrates that he has a range and the ability to swing from clean vocals back into a seething rally of rage on the album’s first (note first, there are plenty more) controversial number ‘Bemoan the Martyr.’ Now, let it be made clear that this is not pouncy dabbling ala Skinless on their From Sacrifice to Survival, no, no, no, this is far more full blown, far more risqué and far more controversial (that word again) as his voice slimly slithers through the speakers, backed by spongy rhythms that cushion and pronounce the phrasings.

Had this been any other album, it would work, hell, it would probably be even considered impressive, but Cryptopsy?

As stated above, had this been the debut album by a new band then it would be received differently and undeniably, positively, that is a given fact. The truth though, is this is Cryptopsy’s 6th album, it exists and is well and truly in print, and no matter how much you turn up ‘Graves of the Fathers,’ in the vein attempt to bury the past, the fact is, it will always, always be there.

Still, in ten years it will probably be heralded as a misunderstood classic.

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