High off the acclaimed debut album Bionic Swarm from 2021, Dutch progressive thrash metal trio Cryptosis feels the time is ripe for some more material to hit the streets as a warm-up to the second album which should appear at some point in 2024. Thus, we have a four-song digital EP in The Silent Call – the contents including one new song, one track leftover from the debut album recording sessions, plus two live tracks from Greece to satisfy those listeners who want to hear what the band achieves aurally from the stage.
Lyrically the title track tackles the blurred lines between artificial and reality control, casting doubt over human existence while people contemplate the complexities of modern life. Musically the song contains the frantic progressive thrash riffs, blackened/speed nuances, as well as mellotron/soundscape movements against guitarist Laurens Houvast’s frantic high-pitched vocal roar – the tempo gear shift around the 2:31-3:24 mark into this ethereal special mind palace. “Master of Life” the other newer song contains killer double kick momentum from Marco Prij against the bass/rhythm guitar interplay, featuring great stop/ start action as the influences shift between Coroner/Pestilence-like propulsion and King Diamond meets Vektor intensity. “Prospect of Immortality” and “Transcendence” finish off the proceedings – the former benefiting from some additional audience chants to mirror the Voivod-ish militant mid-tempo riffs against some crushing mellotron mood enhancement, while the latter showcases the group’s unrelenting speed/thrash mechanics as well as proper hook/groove knowledge to keep things somewhat grounded for retention purposes. Cryptic, thought-provoking cover art beyond the professionalism on the recording/mixing side (Unleashed’s Fredrik Folkare responsible for the mixing/mastering part) puts the ideal cap on a whirlwind twenty-minute outing.
Preparing themselves for a spring 2024 European run with Cynic and Obscura, Cryptosis appears poised to elevate their craft to that next level through each successive release. Those who love progressive thrash with avant-garde, atmospheric nuances will enjoy The Silent Call as that short teaser into the next full-length, yearning for what the three-piece chooses to issue next.