I think the reason that I love Death Metal so very much is because of how eclectic it is. The lyrical themes that are covered are broad and enticing, and the musicianship equally so. If you want to take the genre very seriously you might look to Old School Death Metal, Blackened Death Metal or cavernous Death Metal in the vein of Incantation or Hyperdontia. I firmly believe that if you’re into extreme music then there is something for everyone in Death Metal, it can be fun, humorous, dark, disturbing, crushing and so many other things. It is this very ability to mould into new forms that has ensured that the genre hasn’t stagnated since its inception.

Formed in 2008 and often met with great praise come Finnish modern Death Metal titans Krypts. The band have had an illustrious career so far with albums like Unending Degradation and Remnants Of Expansion setting the Death Metal world alight. They bring a level of tomb worthy sickness to the table that is rivalled by few. Yet a new pasture awaits them, Cadaver Circulation the 2019 third full length release put out through Dark Descent Records. However does this album have the might to match it’s predecessors or will it merely mark the bands decline?

Sinking Transient Waves opens the album with quite the statement, massive cavernous Death Metal that is every bit as downtrodden as one might expect. Drawing influence from Doom or even Sludge Metal at points the track is a dissonant barrage of musty rapid drums, droning riffs, particularly at its closure and super guttural vocals in the manner of Pissgrave or Demilich. The Reek Of Loss sees a continuation of the more Doom heavy riffs reminiscent of Corpsessed with its bombastic delivery and vile smiley production, this is about as true as Death Metal gets. It’s a sound that has proven to be a success among many an upcoming Death Metal band, but has is it now become all too commonplace?

Mycelium breaks the running tend of Doom laden Death Metal, which all things considered is a welcome gap. It clearly still has a similar ethos to its contemporaries but none the less its speed and ferocity show a slightly different side to the otherwise dusty Krypts. Circling The Between comes in to close the release bringing together the many facets of this band, much the same as the introductory song. I thoroughly enjoy this sort of dragging calamity that has become the Death Metal underground but I can’t help but feel that it is a touch bland. Although the bands therein are interesting it is very hard to consider listening to album after album of this sort of Death Metal.

With that notion in mind I would attest that Krypts Cadaver Circulation is a strong release, as a stand alone work it has few faults but its replay factor very much depends upon the listeners thirst for such a brand of Death Metal. Of course it can be difficult to listen to just one genre album after album but this sort of Death Metal is so fusty and rumbling that it almost becomes like Noise or Drone, a very ethereal experience and not one that you can simply tap into at a moments notice. I guess going back to my opening paragraph this is what you would consider as serious Death Metal.

(7/10 George Caley)

https://www.facebook.com/Kryptsdeath

https://darkdescentrecords.bandcamp.com/album/cadaver-circulation