When lead singer
Lord Worm left
Cryptopsy for the second time after 2005's
Once Was Not, longtime followers didn't know quite what to expect from the next lineup. It is safe to say that hardly any of them expected anything having to do with metalcore, but as it turns out, metalcore is a major ingredient on
The Unspoken King, which finds
Cryptopsy unveiling a new six-person lineup that includes newcomer
Matt McGachy (who has been with the Montreal-based band
3 Mile Scream) on lead vocals,
Flo Mounier on drums,
Alex Auburn and
Chris Donaldson on guitar,
Eric Langlois on bass, and newcomer
Maggy Durand on keyboards. The addition of a keyboardist might lead some metalheads to wonder if perhaps
Cryptopsy decided to move in a more melodic direction, but that isn't the case at all;
Cryptopsy haven't become any less vicious, and
Durand's presence is rather puzzling in light of the fact that her keyboard playing is overwhelmed by all the bombastic guitars and drums. But while
Cryptopsy still thrive on ferocious sensory assault,
The Unspoken King is definitely a stylistic departure from previous albums; this time, they blend ultra-technical death metal (the thing they were known for) with ultra-technical metalcore (something that previously, they weren't known for at all).
McGachy's singing combines death metal's Cookie Monster growling with metalcore's tortured screaming, and is clearly a departure from
Worm. This change of direction has been met with some vehemently unfavorable responses; various reviewers for metal websites have trashed
The Unspoken King unmercifully. But truth be told, this 2008 release is not a colossal failure -- an uneven CD, yes, but not a colossal failure. Actually,
Cryptopsy deserve credit for having the guts to try something different; sometimes, this new direction works fairly well, and sometimes, the results fall flat.
The Unspoken King won't go down in history as one of
Cryptopsy's essential albums, but it has its moments and indicates that the metalcore-minded version of
Cryptopsy isn't without potential. ~ Alex Henderson
