Crypt of Kerberos

Ever heard of Crypt of Kerberos? No? Well get ready to be schooled in one of the greatest forgotten relics of the early tech death scene: their lone release, World of Myths.

Originally released in 1993, this album has every hallmark for tech death bands of the day: tons of frantic riffing, unnecessarily complicated compositions, tempos and time signatures changing on a dime... The list goes on. But instead of relying entirely on growls and technical masturbation at the expense of aural pleasure, Crypt of Kerberos were also taking hints from the burgeoning progressive metal scene à la Fates Warning and later Death--heavily melodic passages feature heavily amongst the grinding.

The fact that they mix the melodic with the techy makes World of Myths an ideal entry point for the genre for folks who may find the incessant growling and churning of bands like Atheist to be too abrasive. But even big time fans of tech death will this album a pleasure. Sure, sure, the rehearsal demos of the entire album as bonus tracks are a nice touch for the Pulverised reissue. But even taken just on its own merits, you need to listen to this album.

Recommended if you like: Arsis, Cynic, Anata

8.5 / 10 — Sarah