The nearly black cover art is an apt
portrayal of the contents within: dark, brutal,
and dangerous. Fort Waynes own death metal
mavens Cryptic follow up their successful EP,
Prophecy of Hate, with their first
full-length release. Recorded and mixed locally
at Ensomberoom Studio and released by Dark
Horizon Records, a local label with an
international distribution, Once Holy
Realm is sure to propel this band to
infamy.
While the EP was a great first punch, the new
album is a kick in the groin. Gone are the
keyboards that, while used to nice effect,
somehow just never seem to blend well with death
metal. The band – consisting of guitarist Bill
Klug, vocalist Terry Linn, bassist Rick LaSalle
and new members Jason Hatzell (drums) and Keeb
Sutton (second guitar) – concentrates on
lightning-fast riffs that drive a stake through
your heart. But even though the guitars are
amazingly fast, each of the eight songs is over
five minutes long, with the title track topping
the nine-minute mark! Such expansive sonic
territory gives the songs time to breath and
grow. Clean, yet flanged guitars break the
mega-distorted onslaught from time to time,
allowing the listener just enough time for a
quick, cruel, teasing breath before being held
again under the murky waters of a stagnant swamp.
Two songs especially piqued my ear. Bloodsoaked
Memories is quite chilling, where raspy, dead
vocals are joined by a deeper, growling ranting
that is very horrific. Embranced By Darkness
pulls a fast one, opening with a peaceful intro
that lulls you into a false sense of security.
But Cryptic arent about to start churning out
ballads, and it isnt long before the kick drums
smash in your face and the guitars sandblast the
skin off your face, leaving a happy, grinning
skull in its wake.
The old-style speed metal mixed with black metal
presents a nice amalgam that should appeal to a
wide audience. While I cant understand the
lyrics (and thus cant comment on them), vocalist
Linn resists the urge to sport the standard low
growl (although it does appear
occasionally, but always to great effect due to
its absence elsewhere). Instead, his vocalizings
sound more like a demon-possessed witch being
tortured – very creepy indeed! The massive
double-kick drum pops right in at the start of
Ageless Winds of War and doesnt stop until the
final seconds of Requiem of Fate wind down.
That man must have colossal calves! The double
guitars form an unbreakable union, shredding
constantly with vicious solos and deafening
riffs. And the bassist holds it all together with
an insane fury that surely has worn all the skin
from his fingers, leaving bloody, boney nubs.
This dark assault is available through
www.darkhorizon666.com and should be required
listening for die-hard fans of Cannibal Corpse
and Meshuggah.