Cryptic Warning
Internally Reviled
6
I love reviewing demo and unsigned submissions for one primary reason. While it’s great to unearth new talent, the albums sent in are always nice and short! Take for example, Cryptic Warning’s 3-song sampler. Even though they come from this wretched city of Boston that I’ve called home for the last 5 years, I’ve never managed to cross their path at a gig. This is a shame, because from what I hear, this would treat my ears better than a lot of the local crap I’ve heard. When I see unsigned local acts at a show, the best I hope for are some headbangable riffs. On that challenge, Cryptic Warning pass the test.
This trio play thrash, and not At the Gates-styled “modern thrash”, just thrash…with a touch of death metal. David Davidson is responsible for guitars and vocals. He sings like the spawn of Adam Frakes-Sime (Stampin’ Ground) and Max Cavalera, and he solos like an early-90’s Dimebag (Pantera). He needs to work on vocal consistency, as at times he sounds quite amateurish, while other times he seems quite competent. Anthony Buda’s bass is actually audible, and he contributes more than simply the main riff at a lower octave. Lastly, Phil Dubois-Coyne’s drumming is at a higher level than your standard thrash drummer. The production is somewhat muddy on the guitar, but it gets the job done.
So they can play, but can they write songs? The first song, “From Catalyst to Catharsis” starts off fast and sloppy, but after a minute or so, a smooth solo leads into a better, groovier riff. The pattern repeats, then they just jam for the remaining minute or so, broken up only by the occasional deep growl. Next up is “Chainsaw Sacrifice”, which is highlighted by a string of good thrash riffage and a prolonged, vocal-less jam where they let Buda’s bass out to play. Last is “Internally Reviled”, the best track on this demo. The opening riff has a “Master of Puppets” feel to it, and then shortly after, they try their best to play Slayer. Keep on listening and you hear simplistic death metal. Also included were two recorded sets which include a few different tracks, possibly from an older demo.
Cryptic Warning is now added to my list of bands to arrive early for at local shows, instead of my usual behavior of showing up 20 minutes before the band(s) I want to see. Nice job on the demo and keep on thrashing!
