Blasphemy Made Flesh

1. Defenestration
2. Abigor
3. Open Face Surgery
4. Serial Messiah
5. Born Headless
6. Swine of the Cross
7. Gravaged (A Cryptopsy)
8. Memories of Blood
9. Mutant Christ
10. Pathological Frolic

Lord Worm - Vocals

Jon Levasseur - Guitar

Steve Thibault - Guitar

Eric Langvois - Bass

Flo Mounier - Drums

Ah yes, the album that started it all. From the far, far north comes Cryptopsy, ready to dismember all that stand in their way. Canada is most definitely the land of the unholy blastbeat, and in this arena of speed, Flo Mounier holds the highest order. His legs made of pistons, Mounier is the driving force behind this wall of power, held together by string pluckers Langovin, Thiebault and Levasseur. Of course, top off the madness with resident goremeister Lord Worm's guttural vocals, and we're all in for some serious pain. Yeah, Kataklysm and others also play the hyperblast, but Cryptopsy are the ones that introduced "the beat" to me. "The beat", of course being the double kick blast beat which just knocks the shit out of everything. The production is not as clear here as it will get on subsequent albums, but idea-wise, there's just heaps here to chew on. One thing that gets me is how clear everything is, even at mach one. You always know what's going on musically, diametrically opposed to the vocal performance, which is barely one step removed from true mania. Lord Worm has this awesome belch which just makes everything sound so, evil. Not above belting out a killer scream now and again, the Lord is in control here, telling his morbid tales to us again and again. Mix this all up with the infamous "beat" and a classic is born. Re-released by Displeased records and now available to the masses. Tendonitis anyone?
7 1/2 out of 10

None So Vile

1. Crown of Horns
2. Slit Your Guts
3. Graves of the Fathers
4. Dead and Dripping
5. Benedictine Convulsions
6. Phobophile
7. Lichmistress
8. Orgiastic Disembowlment

Line-Up

Lord Worm - Vocals

Jon Levasseur - Guitar

Eric Langvois - Bass

Flo Mounier - Drums

I'm telling you, for a small label, Wrong Again had some of the greatest bands, ever! Between In Flames, Arch Enemy, Eucharist and Cryptopsy, these guys had it made. Unfortunately, because of their size, most of the classic albums released are long since out of print, NSV being one of those, along with Subterranean, that I had been waiting to get for some time. Well, thanks to Yukiko, because it was only through her that I was able to get the Japanese version of this classic CD. While not quite as over the top as Whisper Supremacy (I guess), None So Vile is about as extreme as they come, a Tasmanian Devil of a record that flails and roars in every direction at once. A hydra of sound, if you will. A four-piece for this recording, it's actually guitarist Jon Levasseur who holds this thing together, drummer Flo Mounier holding a complete "go for it" attitude with regard to the beats and anit-beats he issues forth. Basically a decipherable wall of noise, None So Vile's production is a billion times better than their debut, thanks to knob-twiddler Pierre Remillard (Obliveon). Cryptopsy are notorious now for their approach to controlled chaos, and that element is definitely here (check out Slit Your Guts), but they were even MORE infamous on this release due to frontman/gorehound Lord Worm. I'd call this guy a Gutturalist rather than a vocalist, his eminations being of the epileptic sort that would scare the shit out of anyone at fifty paces. I've also been told that most of this type of music is completely unmemorable, with no melody. Well, I wholehardedly diagree, None So Vile holding some of the MOST remarkable riffs and solos I've heard in extreme music. This is a classic for those that can deal, and until it's released, it may also be one of the harder discs out there to find. Well fucking worth it though.
8 1/2 out of 10

Whisper Supremacy

1. Emaciate
2. Cold Hate, Warm Blood
3. Loathe
4. White Worms
5. Flame to the Surface
6. Depths You've Fallen
7. Faceless Unknown
8. Serpent's Coil

Line-Up

Mike DiSalvo - Vocals

Jon Levasseur - Guitar

Miguel Roy - Guitar

Eric Langvois - Bass

Flo Mounier - Drums

Ah, the gentle sounds of the infamous Cryptopsy. After two critically lauded releases on smaller labels, this wild bunch have made the highly anticipated step to one of the "majors". This, coupled with the departure of ghoulish vocalist Lord Worm prompted worry on the masses. Well, rest assured that Cryptopsy have no ideas of calming down, and yes, new "vocalist" DiSalvo fills the vile shoes more than capably. At only 32 minutes in length, W.S. is a short "blast" of an album, but similar to driving at mach 2, how much can a person take before your body decides to shut down? To those indoctrinated with the sounds, this magnificent group of adrenaline junkies puts forth more of the same here, albeit a little more polished thanks to Pierre (Obliveon) Remillard's crystalline production. Amazing actually, since there's this weird push-pull of ideas constantly in motion, where it seems as though each instrument is vying for the same aural space, yet working in unison at the same time. This has got to sound like a nervous breakdown on tape to the rest of the world though, yet there's this underlying current of control in the guitars holding this avalanche together. Good thing, as Flo Mounier is definitely schooled in the Steve Flynn (Atheist) school of rhythm, arms and legs hitting anything and everything at once. You can totally picture him all jittery, wearing a bike helmet in the grocery store. Yet, as I stated before, for all the speed and intensity, the individuality of songs shines through. Riffs are thrown in a blender, but the solos are memorable, as is the basswork. One drawback? I can't bloody well think when hearing this, as witnessed by this review, written under the headphone influence of this most massive achievement of noise. Not for the faint of heart.
8 1/2 out of 10