(We present Todd Manning’s enthusiastic review of a debut EP by Singapore-based Cryptid Spawn, released at the end of January by Iron Lung Records.)
When it comes to vicious hardcore punk, d-beat, and grind records, the label Iron Lung Records reigns supreme. However, it is rare that they release anything that falls more firmly in the metal camp. So when they do put something out that is unquestionably metal, it is something to take notice of. Such is the case with Black Phosphorous Dungeon, the new EP by Cryptid Spawn.
When we say that Cryptid Spawn is undeniably metal, we aren’t talking about Judas Priest, not that there would be anything wrong with that. Cryptid Spawn’s leather-gloved hands are sticky with the DNA of the darkest extreme metal forebears. Think early Bathory, Blasphemy, Sarcófago, and Hellhammer. “Gods of the Grim and Dismal World” shows how they are able to blend the relentless blur of war metal with actual, discernible riffs, the song held together by a primitive but memorable chord progression. The vocals spew blasphemous phlegm in the best possible way, and when the guitars slow down partway through the song, the riff is the best combination of death metal crawl and sludge-ridden filth.It’s an auspicious beginning to a short but devastating release.
The title track follows and is Hellhammer worship until it isn’t, the tempos suddenly shifting into an atavistic blast and then riding into d-beat territory. When a groove returns, it is in a classic metal swing, but only for a moment. They quickly conjure that early Hellhammer riff, only to force it into a faster tempo. Overall, the track is a swarm of constantly shifting tempos, never coming across as technical, but rather a feral monster subject to the band’s sadistic whims.
“Byssal Thread” is slower; the riff sounds like a fog floating over a nocturnal graveyard. The drums speed up, but the mood never shifts beyond the haunting. The aptly named “Primal Sorcery” ends the EP and doubles down on the atmospheric bludgeoning. The riffs bring to mind early Celtic Frost, but they are washed in the right amount of reverb to enforce the mood. There are moments of savage speed as well, but the atmosphere is undeniable.
Cryptid Spawn’s barbaric metal abilities are unquestionable. The lyrics ring true of war metal’s savagery as well, but are spun into a more modern context, decrying the genocides of people all over the world. Lovecraft never conjured a nightmare as real as this world and Cryptid Spawn double down on the horrors of our harsh reality. At less than twenty-minutes long, we can only hope this is a mere foreshadowing of a full-length to come.
https://ironlungrecords.bandcamp.com/album/black-phosphorous-dungeon-lungs-306