Review by Alex Grindor on July 12, 2021.

The announcement of this split made every Viral Load and Putrid Pile fan get really excited, wondering how could this battle be and (most important) who of them would be the best. Since I don't consider myself a fan of neither Viral Load nor Putrid Pile, I checked this split to see who of them was victorious.

Reached the conclusion that this is a draw (and that Viral Load is no present in this split).

Viral Load:
Okay, first we have Shawn Whitaker, known for his band Insidious Decrepancy, a band that uses extremely fast programmed double drum kicks, fast guitar riffs and gurgle growl vocals. Now, pick up this band, change his name to your other band (Viral Load in this case) and release a split under that name with another one-man band. I mean, seriously, this is not Viral Load, whatever you hear here is not that band, it's Insidious Decrepancy disguised as Viral Load. But still, it's not that bad. Their songs are good, starting from 'Dog Food Lube' (which has an awesome breakdown in the first seconds of the song and probably the most normal drum machine), passing through the extremely fast 'Methlab Machete Massacre' which has the most furious speed and riffing of the tracks in this split, and ending with the cover of 'Cod Piece Face', (Dead Horse) a good cover in my opinion. But (as most bands have a "but" part), I think it would have been better something more Viral Load in this split. The extremely fast speed of the drum machine, along with the guitar riff and vocals make you think you are listening to Insidious Decrepancy instead of Viral Load. Besides that, there's nothing wrong with this side of the split.

Putrid Pile
Second, we have Putrid Pile, made by a guy also named Shaun (no joke, in case you haven't heard of this bands yet). Putrid Pile differentate from Viral Load in the composition of the songs. While Viral Load uses extremely fast guitars, machine-gun programmed drums and gurgle like growls, Putrid Pile puts more emphasis in the guitars, making them sound brutal and awesome at the same time, using a “softer” drum machine and using deep guttural growls and high screams (sometimes combined) as vocals. If you think that "speed makes brutality", you are wrong. "The Satisfying Dead" is the proof that Putrid Pile can be brutal without breaking your guitar strings from the speed you are playing. Next track, "A Fitting End" is a return to most of the brutality that had in his first album "Collection Of Butchery", but at the same time mixing it with some melodious and slow parts. Final track "Lifeless... Not Useless" resemble his previous tracks in this split. Starts fast, the goes slow, then goes fast again, using a double vocal scream in the beginning of this track.

Overall, both bands have better releases than this split. If you're a die-hard fan of both Viral Load and Putrid Pile, I'll suppose you already own this split. If you're not, then hear it for yourself and reach your own conclusion. For me, it has potential, but could have been better.

Highlights:
Viral Load - Methlab Machete Massacre.
Putrid Pile - A Fitting End.

Rating: 7.3 out of 10

Review by Felix on January 3, 2021.

It's a bit embarrassing at my advanced age, but still and again I stumble across bands or receive recommendations that make me curious about their whole programme with a single song. In the case of Graceless, the can opener is called 'Here Be Dragons'. It is especially the verses that draw me into the canyons of the Dutch death metal disciples. They consist of a very charming mixture of a down-rolling part with vocals and an instrumental passage that serves up an excellent melodic fragment. This is bolts throwing, faces breaking music one can always listen to, not only just before dawn. Of course, the galloping chorus also leaves its mark and the solo makes sense, not just noise. Not to mention the tragic sounding break that connects the end of the solo with the beginning of the third verse. Fantastic tune!

Given this death metal at its absolute best song, I could not rest until I got the CD in my mailbox. Yes, from my point of view, the deadly genre will forever stand in the shadow of thrash and black metal. Nevertheless, this kind of metal has already proven its ability to make my life richer from time to time. As indicated above, Graceless continues the sound of Bolt Thrower to a certain extent and albums like the quasi-perfect “….For Victory” are definitely not the worst points of orientation.

Right from the beginning, the artists set the focus on ultimate heaviness and their all-encompassing brutality sees no reason to hurry up. The first track, 'Lugdunum Baravorum', drags itself heavily over deep terrain. With a density that suffocates all life, the quartet fights its way through churned-up ground. The solo allows something like a higher pitch to be heard for the first time, but otherwise it is all as sombre as the mood of the British forces on the evening of 01 July 1916 after the loss of some 20,000 soldiers on the Somme. Speaking of fallen British fighters, the melancholic melody at the beginning of 'Commander of Christ' is a clear cross reference to Bolt Thrower. However, the piece definitely develops into an independent Graceless number. Intensity and ruthlessness meet at the highest level and form a mid-paced smasher.

The dudes of Graceless are definitely striving for their own style. They are by no means the waste product of another combo. The headstrong beginning of 'Nine Days of Mourning' underlines this. A simple, calm guitar melody comes creeping into the listener’s living room and creates a menacing scenario. One can say the song suffers from repetition, because the simple melody line is repeated many times. However, I enjoy witnessing how hatred slowly hatches from the egg. This is all the more true in view of the album's excellent, powerful and clear production. The Dutch beat every possible sound hole to death. Bad for the holes, good for us.

Surely, a few details leave room for optimization, for example the solid, yet extremely generic deep vocals. Ultimately it does not matter. Where Vultures Know Your Name belongs to these albums whose name death metal maniacs should know, even though it is precisely the title track which falls by the wayside in the internal competition. But fans of formations such as Vomitory will not only bang their heads to the up-tempo parts of 'Warpath'. In this respect, I think not only the vultures would be pleased to know the names of these fans, but the pleasure would be mutual. Believe me, these vultures are definitely no budgies.

Rating: 8.2 out of 10

Review by Felix on January 3, 2021.

It's a bit embarrassing at my advanced age, but still and again I stumble across bands or receive recommendations that make me curious about their whole programme with a single song. In the case of Graceless, the can opener is called 'Here Be Dragons'. It is especially the verses that draw me into the canyons of the Dutch death metal disciples. They consist of a very charming mixture of a down-rolling part with vocals and an instrumental passage that serves up an excellent melodic fragment. This is bolts throwing, faces breaking music one can always listen to, not only just before dawn. Of course, the galloping chorus also leaves its mark and the solo makes sense, not just noise. Not to mention the tragic sounding break that connects the end of the solo with the beginning of the third verse. Fantastic tune!

Given this death metal at its absolute best song, I could not rest until I got the CD in my mailbox. Yes, from my point of view, the deadly genre will forever stand in the shadow of thrash and black metal. Nevertheless, this kind of metal has already proven its ability to make my life richer from time to time. As indicated above, Graceless continues the sound of Bolt Thrower to a certain extent and albums like the quasi-perfect “….For Victory” are definitely not the worst points of orientation.

Right from the beginning, the artists set the focus on ultimate heaviness and their all-encompassing brutality sees no reason to hurry up. The first track, 'Lugdunum Baravorum', drags itself heavily over deep terrain. With a density that suffocates all life, the quartet fights its way through churned-up ground. The solo allows something like a higher pitch to be heard for the first time, but otherwise it is all as sombre as the mood of the British forces on the evening of 01 July 1916 after the loss of some 20,000 soldiers on the Somme. Speaking of fallen British fighters, the melancholic melody at the beginning of 'Commander of Christ' is a clear cross reference to Bolt Thrower. However, the piece definitely develops into an independent Graceless number. Intensity and ruthlessness meet at the highest level and form a mid-paced smasher.

The dudes of Graceless are definitely striving for their own style. They are by no means the waste product of another combo. The headstrong beginning of 'Nine Days of Mourning' underlines this. A simple, calm guitar melody comes creeping into the listener’s living room and creates a menacing scenario. One can say the song suffers from repetition, because the simple melody line is repeated many times. However, I enjoy witnessing how hatred slowly hatches from the egg. This is all the more true in view of the album's excellent, powerful and clear production. The Dutch beat every possible sound hole to death. Bad for the holes, good for us.

Surely, a few details leave room for optimization, for example the solid, yet extremely generic deep vocals. Ultimately it does not matter. Where Vultures Know Your Name belongs to these albums whose name death metal maniacs should know, even though it is precisely the title track which falls by the wayside in the internal competition. But fans of formations such as Vomitory will not only bang their heads to the up-tempo parts of 'Warpath'. In this respect, I think not only the vultures would be pleased to know the names of these fans, but the pleasure would be mutual. Believe me, these vultures are definitely no budgies.

Rating: 8.2 out of 10

Review by Felix on April 12, 2021.

Thrash metal is no academic style. It is about transforming energy into sharp riffs and restless drumming. This kind of music has nothing to do with reading a book, the evaluation of scientific experiments or a forum discussion on the preservation of the pension system. On the other hand, there is progressive metal. This is the genre where musicians do not think about creating a good song, but how to confuse the listener irrevocably. That’s why they integrate a million twists and turns into every song. To be clear, I speak about twists and turns nobody has ever asked for (with the exception of the artist’s own ego). In short, thrash metal is god-like, progressive metal is nonsense. You can disagree with this conclusion, but only if you want to branded as a liar.

Despite this undeniable truth, Distillator, oops, Cryptosis have decided to change sides. It's a pity they didn't fall into the nearest Dutch gracht when they moved to the other bank. The cold water might have brought them to their senses. Statements like “we were a little bit bored with the typical thrash metal genre and the boundaries that come with it” are simply hard to understand. Thus, I was willing to give their shitty egghead album a rating of less than 50%. No discussion about that! But, irony of fate, neither did they change their style drastically nor am I able to ignore my enthusiasm for Bionic Swarm. Okay, there are some “intellectual” trace elements like the artwork. What the hell does the guy with the oversized Pippi Longstocking wig wants to tell us? But I want to be honest. If someone would have sold me this work as the new Distillator album, I would have been satisfied. Let’s neglect the non-essential intro and the intermezzo on the sixth position and concentrate on the regular tracks.

'Decypher' is a total failure – but only if it wants to demonstrate the new progressiveness of the trio. Vice versa, this means nothing else but that we are receiving a pretty straight, fast and razor-sharp killer that holds a lot of Distillator in it. But okay, this was the first published song after they had changed their name. 'Prospect Of Immortality' marked the next output they released under the new banner. It’s slower, ominous and presents more breaks, not least due to its playtime of more than six minutes. Nevertheless, the song is always comprehensible and in particular its instrumental part – which starts after roughly two and a half minutes – surprises with wonderful yet apocalyptic harmonies. Although this tune has a kind of technical (sci-fi) note, it also still reflects a connection to Distillator’s second album; remember “King of Kings”. However, maybe the third single after the renaming made them sail to new shores? The answer is no. Speed demons have again taken possession of the band and the number fascinates with another dose of cutting, slicing and piercing riffs and lines. Not to mention the solo. There is so much of their former approach in this smasher… maybe I should not speak of a Cryptosis song, but of a Cryptillator track. Anyway, even the fourth single 'Death Technology' is an attack of merciless cruelty – the bulky riffs at the beginning point into the direction of progressive thrash, but they do not characterise this outbreak of unbridled ferocity. In short, it remains a mystery to me why they changed their name.

Okay, it’s natural that the expressive, passionate vocals remind us of the old numbers (even though the high-pitched screams do not occur again). Nevertheless, to me it is obvious that the guys from Enschede did not cut their roots completely. Maybe this act of emancipation from the own past will follow (and lower the quality of further works). But this is not my topic today. I just can say that brutal yet large-format songs like 'Conjuring The Egoist' break through the barricades with a maximum of power. Perhaps these dudes are just too competent to compose faceless pieces, even if they stumble in a kind of premature midlife crises through the wrong genre? But up to now, they still stand with one foot firmly on the hallowed ground of razorblade thrash. Indeed, 'Mindscape' adds a little symphonic touch, but even this element does not hurt the mercilessly sharpness of the composition. Frankly speaking, I was in (more and more desperate) search of a filler, but I did not find one. I regret that Bionic Swarm does not possess this completely insane intensity of Distillator’s contribution to the split with Space Chaser, but it is also light years away from delivering lukewarm or slack material. Therefore I have no reason to grumble. Moreover, I am happy that the production is perfect from my point of view: clear, direct, with a lot of pressure. I wonder if it lacks coldness, because a lot of technical thrashers want to illustrate their mechanized music by this trait. Cryptosis is different, and that’s a good thing.

Lyric-wise, the dudes were already in their former life interested in “typical technical thrash topics”. Titles like 'Mechanized Existence', 'Algorithmic Citizenship' or 'Swarm Intelligence' (most furious Dutch thrash song of all times?) proved evidence. Bionic Swarm seems to be linked especially with the song from the split with Space Chaser. Swarms everywhere! Too bad that I am still a stupid individual, but I digress. The full-length concludes with 'Flux Divergence'. I have no idea what this is (as mentioned before: stupid individual called Felix 1666). Anyway, the song puts the focus on uncompromising velocity again. Not very progressive, but great. Thus, I do not know whether the band wants to get applause from my (old school thrash is king) side. But I can't write a bad review for this “debut”. If I did, I would have to immediately change my name to Liar 1666. And honestly, I'm sick of name changes in relation to these three very capable Dutchmen.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Michael on February 21, 2021.

I find a lot of new thrash metal bands on the market quite ambivalent to unbelievably overrated, (to put it in friendly words) but the debut album Bionic Swarm from the Dutch band Cryptosis, which will be released at the end of March comes across pretty convincingly over large parts.

Let's start with the cover. It's quite sci-fi like and I personally think it's quite well done but I also like science fiction.
Musically, according to the press information, the band is for fans of Coroner and Demolition Hammer. I can't really understand that now, because I find that the band has a stylistic quite similarity with Vektor, only that Cryptosis are not quite as challenging, but do a kind of technical thrash that you can get into, how shall I say, more relaxed. This is not to say that the band makes undemanding music, the songs are very lovingly composed and know how to grab the listener from the very beginning.

The tracks are sometimes quite intricate structures and one is always amazed at the twist and turns that come there. What also makes the songs quite interesting are the keyboard parts, which are used again and again subliminally (Nocturnus (A.D.) send their regards). In the slower tracks like 'Prospect of Immortality' there are similarities to slower Napalm Death songs, but slow tracks are rather scarce on the album. The band is almost constantly stepping on the gas pedal and lumbering through their cosmos. In any case, one always discovers new stylistic elements when listening to the album several times so I have the impression that not only the above-mentioned bands, but also thrash bands like Exodus, classics like Iron Maiden and also black metal (listen to the riffing on 'Mindscape' more closely) have had influences on the songwriting of the band.

Standout tracks on the album are 'Death Technology', which is pretty catchy and cool in terms of riffing and showcases the band's technical prowess, 'Transcendence' is an incredibly fast, technical track with atmospheric keyboard backing and 'Game of Souls' is a very diverse song that again showcases the band's technical prowess. However, there are also passages in the songs that seem a bit uninspired and unstructured (for example in 'Prospect of Immortality' or 'Mindscape'), but over long stretches the band can convince at least me.

Since I already mentioned Vektor as an influence several times, it's not surprising that the band will go on tour together with them (it's announced for Europe in May at least). I'm curious if that will work out. I would be happy to see the guys live. So if you like technical thrash, you should not miss the debut of the Dutch, you will not be disappointed!

Rating: 8.2 out of 10