ALBUM REVIEW: An Insatiable Violence – Cryptopsy

With 30 years behind them, CRYPTOPSY are a household name in death metal. A legacy band that have earned their place through sheer brutality and dedication. While not every chapter in their discography has landed, the fact that only a small number of misfires exist across nine albums is pretty good going. Previous record, As Gomorrah Burns seemingly reignited their ferocious brilliance and now, their latest output, An Insatiable Violence, continues this storm. 

Despite being written largely on the road amidst the chaos of touring, An Insatiable Violence feels anything but scattered. Clocking in at a tight 33 minutes, the record delivers a strike of unrelenting death metal that doesn’t falter for a second. The savagery of CYRPTOPSY‘s early years remains very much intact, but this release brings a sharpened and modernised edge that elevates their sound to a lethal standard of unrelenting carnage. The evidence of their faster, more focused writing process cutting through every track. 

Each element of CRYPTOPSY‘s already powerful line up has been intensified, taking on new levels of ferocity. Flo Mounier’s already formidable drum work has ascended to, almost-inhuman heights, unleashing erupting gravity blasts and tempos that border on the unfathomable. Opening track, The Nimis Adoration, sets this tone, with relentless intensity and pulverising speed. Matt McGachy’s vocals have also evolved, now carrying an even more monstrous force that deepens the album’s brutal, sinister atmosphere.

As with any CRYPTOPSY record, An Insatiable Violence, is rammed with hooks that demand your attention and batter your eardrums into submission. Track Until There’s Nothing Left, is relentless and harrowing yet irresistibly catchy, pulling you deeper into their pulsating abyss with every shift in tempo and technical flourish. Meanwhile, the groove-heavy closer, Malicious Needs wraps up the album with an onslaught of violent riffs and ear-catching sections that demand to be replayed to recapture the adrenaline rush, before unfolding into a sinister break filled with dark atmospherics and McGachy’s matching gutturals. 

If the record’s merciless aggression and malevolence wasn’t enough to leave you feeling deeply harrowed, An Insatiable Violence pairs this with bleak social commentary. Offering a reflection on the harsh realities of modern life and our toxic, numbing addiction to social media. Still, the album offers brief moments of respite. The slow build at the start of Art Of Emptiness provides a breather from the surrounding intensity while still delivering commanding force and soaring guitar solos. Similarly, Our Greatest Deception offers a rare, cathartic pause. Slowing to an almost serene calm that resonates as deeply as the album’s most intense moments.

Standing out as one of this year’s most commanding death metal releases, An Insatiable Violence is a late-career triumph. Retaining the raw prowess that has defined their three decades, while adding a modern edge that places them among today’s giants, CRYPTOPSY are clearly at the top of their game. Though veterans in the arena, this record proves they remain one of the leaders in this genre. 

Rating: 8/10

An Insatiable Violence is out now via Season Of Mist.