Kryptos – The Coils of Apollyon (AFM Records)
Sunday, 11th August 2013
Much like Orphaned Land is for Israel, Kryptos is the go-to opening band in India when the big boys roll into town, i.e. Maiden, Dark Tranquillity, Kreator, etc. And given the indeterminate amount of acts residing in the band’s Bangalore hometown, it could be possible Kryptos has earned their rank by outworking the competition and calling in a few favors in the process (who hasn’t?) Nevertheless, their third album, The Coils of Apollyon initially saw the light of day in 2012, but was snapped up for worldwide release by AFM, thus increasing the band’s chances of getting out of the perpetual Indian show opening spot slot.
Playing a well-worn version of traditional metal with thrash influences, the band proves to have melodic reach in their back pocket, with both the title track and “Serpent Mage” going to work with a combination of Gothenburg and Maiden melodies. While their standard thrash moments are give-or-take (see: “The Mask of Anubis” and “Spellcraft”), it’s the European mid-tempo angle of “Nexus Legion” and “Starfall” that get the most mileage, even though singer Nolan Lewis is a dead-ringer for Coroner’s Ron Royce.
A would-be success story if they were less the sum of other bands, Kryptos probably won’t enjoy the same trajectory as the aforementioned Orphaned Land or even the Faroe Islands’ Tyr, who are virtually the only band in town. However, The Coils of Apollyon is worth a gander should the Maiden-derived death of At the Gates with Swiss vocals is your call, or even just Maiden. People seem to like them, too.
