Cryptobeast

Usurper | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 8, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Earache Records
• ASIN: B0007D4M72
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #441,605 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kill for Metal!!!, August 6, 2005

By 

Patrick Stott (Rolleston, Canterbury, New Zealand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cryptobeast (Audio CD)

In these times when so much of Metal is diluted and tainted by outside influences, it is refreshing to find a Metal band playing Metal influenced by Metal, the whole Metal and nothing but the Metal. All you Emo/Folk/Prog/'Core/next-lame-bastardisation-of-Metal lovers can get lost. Your music isn't Metal. Usurper knows what Metal is, and anyone who argues is looking for a clip round the ear with a big spiky club

Usurper's `Cryptobeast' is unashamedly filled to the eyeballs with Metal cliche after Metal cliche. But hey, a cliche is only a bad thing if you're no good at it. You will never forget the names of these songs, because all the titles are chanted in the chorus except obviously the instrumental "Ectoplasm". The lyrics are all about mythical beasts (nasty ones like werewolves mind you, there's no unicorns or fairies here) and the supernatural. There's even a Metallic call to arms called "Kill For Metal", for which Manowar would gladly trade two golden codpieces, an enchanted warhammer of doom, and a free pass to Valhalla.

First and foremost though, before anyone gets carried away with the spikes, studs, leather and long hair, Usurper are consummate musicians. To a man, each is a master of his craft, and there are no weaknesses anywhere in this band. Their sound is gut-wrenchingly heavy and muscular, while surprisingly agile, but without compromise. New vocalist Tyrantor has a guttural shout which strays toward a Death grunt at times, but generally remains in the realms of aggressive Thrash.

It would be wrong to label this album retro-Thrash, as it has been in some quarters. If Thrash had kept evolving in the early 1990s instead of limply surrendering to the mainstream, this is what it would sound like. Imagine a world where Metallica's self-titled album did not exist, where Dave Mustaine had remained permanently messed up on heroin, where Sepultura had decided tribal music was crap, where Exhorder didn't get ripped off and watered down by Pantera. This is Usurper's world. This is a world where fists can be raised high (complete with compulsory studded leather wristbands) while chanting "Kill, kill, kill/Kill kill kill/For Metal" without any trace of embarrassment or irony.

The other obvious highlight besides `Kill For Metal' is `Return Of The Werewolf', complete with a roared chorus, solos (not too overindulgent) exactly where they should be, and machinegun blast percussion. `Conquest Of The Grotesque' and the title track also follow a very similar formula, but without becoming formulaic. There is little which is subtle about this album, apart from the atmospheric `Ectoplasm', but who needs subtlety when there's mindless violence?

If you're looking for something groundbreaking, try something by Dream Theater, if you think you can stay awake. For bludgeoning Metal which recalls the good old days, but without being stuck in a time warp, you'll find none better than Usurper.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good!!!!, July 15, 2005

By 

critico constructivo (PR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cryptobeast (Audio CD)

In my opinion, this is the best and most solid effort for Usurper. I got also, "Skeletal season" which is good too. In this album I think, all the instruments came together in a good way, with good production and very clear. So, don't hesitate to buy this album; a good death metal album!!!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Some good, some bland, mostly good, March 3, 2005

By 

Scott Rodriguez "sheismysin" (Lakewood, CO United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cryptobeast (Audio CD)

Ideally I'd give this a 3.5...maybe a 3.75. 3 implies mediocre, and 4 is a just a GREAT cd. 5 is a flawless one.

Anyway!

Usurper really matured since their last CD, and if they improve the same amount in their next CD, they could be really (...) and the next big thing. The coverart is pretty lame...even though it's "metal"...but they really have a pretty unique sound to them this day and age.

The guitars are HEAVY...but still clear and thrashy...definitely not distorted to the max like High on Fire or DOWN. But yeah...they really have a meaty death metal feel to them. Crushing. The songs are full of moshing headbanging riffs, and just have some good songwriting which hasn't been there on their previous efforts. A few songs seem to get a little too fast and generic though, but I guess that's what metal is hey. They also slow things up and get pretty at times, but then comes the pummeling guitars and riffs again.

I would say if you think Behemoth is crushing, but too fast for you, check these guys out, because they bring a smoother sound to the table with the thrash. It's maybe 4 parts behemoth, 1 part manowar. lol. They dress up in spikes and stuff, and their lyrics are cheese, but it's not like we pay attention to those anyway. They are just having fun. They got a new vocalist, which is a vast improvement from their past CD's. I can't really think of a band that sounds like them...if anything, Atrocity's new one Atlantis, but only the heavy parts on Atlantis, not the 80's-ish metal. And they could still use some improvement, I'm not going to say this CD is flawless, but there are some killer cuts here.

Anyway, this CD is a lot better than most of the stuff I see lately on here, and has a cool Hail Metal feel...so if you can maybe download these songs to see how sweet they are...