Review: Cryptopsy “None So Live”

Cryptopsy
“None So Live”
(Century Media)

Just what I’ve been waiting for! A live Cryptopsy album. This band shreds live. They have the brutal intensity of a tail gunner in World War Two blasting down Japanese fighters over the South Pacific. On their studio albums they haven’t yet truly displayed all their sound and fury (Faulkner’s a pansy!), but now finally, fans of Cryptopsy can rejoice because they have now been truly captured. This is like definitive proof of the existence of Bigfoot. This album is that big! It’s that important! The blast beats are there. The complex hate-filled riffs, the grind, the disgust, the leprotic vocals and breakaway old school death metal ambience and solos. As you listen to this album it transports you into a sea of sweat-drenched maniacs, a pit loaded with loonies. You can feel the intense energy of the live show in every last note, each drum strike and strained vocal nuance. The crowd energy is high. The band in top form. Okay, I’ll come clean, I’ve never heard of Cryptopsy before. But I’m glad I have now. I must say, this live album is a great introduction. Truly one of the best drummers in all of metal. Technical mastery. According to the band’s website, this live album is it for vocalist LaCroix, his one and only recording with the band. They hit songs from all four of their studio releases on this live disc with excellent sound quality. French Canadian mayhem at its finest.

Dick