Cryptopsy - The Best of Us Bleed
Century Media celebrates the career of these legendary French Canuck Death/Grind masters as it wraps up its second decade, and just in time for Christmas(sacre). This 2-disc set spans over 135 minutes, featuring previously unreleased, live, and rehearsal tracks, plus a greatest hits collection from the band’s first 6 studio LPs. We begin with 3 unreleased songs from 2011. Not the most memorable cuts, but a welcome return to the tech-frenzied pummeling and straightforward brutality that endeared them to the underground from the beginning. Up next, a cover from CM’s Covering 20 Years of Extremes comp. They do “Oh My Fucking God” from Strapping Young Lad’s City LP —the last time Heavy Devy did something relevant— and pretty much nail it, although I would’ve went with “All Hail the New Flesh.” The next 3 tracks are from 2008’s The Unspoken King. Widely perceived as the group’s Cold Lake, it’s no surprise that the songs chosen are the most brutal, clean vocal-free selections the album has to offer. Not so much awkward as flat-out boring, whether or not material from this record belongs on a “best of” is up for debate. I propose a similar argument for the ensuing 3 cuts from 2005’s Once Was Not — Lord Worm’s short-lived return to the fold. In my opinion, the most confused and least memorable work of their career, and a precursor to the Prog-Core insanity that would follow. Disc 1 closes out with highlights from the Mike DiSalvo era (2000’s And Then You’ll Beg and 1998’s Whisper Supremacy), his gruff bellow and the band’s relentless hellbent-on-world-domination energy now sorely missed. Disc 2 begins with 5 classic anthems from 1996’s None So Vile and —still to this day my all-time favorite— 1994’s Blasphemy Made Flesh. I probably still have the soiled underwear from the first time I heard “Defenestration” somewhere around the house. It can be argued that these two albums alone are Cryptopsy’s greatest hits, but I digress. Disc 2 closes out with the live (from 2003’s None So Live and the Japan-only bonus tracks from And Then You’ll Beg and Once Was Not) and rehearsal (demo songs for Whisper Supremacy) portions. A nice bonus, but nothing you can’t live without. Nothing beats actually being there, as watching Flo Mounier batter his unending drum kit remains one of my fondest Milwaukee Metalfest memories. Overall, a decent package despite some questionable selections, and the ultimate gift for the ultimate Cryptopsy fan. Word on the street is the band have a new self-released, self-titled album out now that’s reported to be a total return to form. Time will tell.
(2) Comment(s)
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Ychoril said:
I actually had the self-released new album in my review queue. I didn’t think it kicked enough ass. The riffing was hyper-technical and nothing on the album was very memorable. The production was lacking, too. The guitars were too clean, for one thing. They definitely needed more bottom-end and maybe some more distortion. The songs might go over better live, where the sound is naturally bass-heavy but on CD, it didn’t do anything for me. It’s definitely more Death Metal than their last album, though.
OnlyInDeath said:
I think of “Once Was Not” the same way I do “Seasons in the Abyss”: a record with a few high points but a distinct lack of focus when compared to prior albums, and followed by a series of releases that, while maybe not entirely bad, aren’t even close to being great.
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