Canadian kings of technical death metal, Cryptopsy, have announced their return with As Gomorrah Burns, their first full-length album in over a decade, due out September 8 via Nuclear Blast Records.
The groundbreaking, extreme metal foursome emerge renewed and as vital as ever on their massively anticipated album, which continues their trailblazing path of sonic exploration and exceptionally complex songwriting, for one of their most tumultuous albums yet.
Commenting on the impending record, vocalist Matt McGachy says: “I’m excited to finally unveil As Gomorrah Burns. It’s an album that we have been crafting for the past five years. A meticulous endeavour that we are proud of. It’s the perfect medley of old school Cryptopsy with a few modern twists. We’ve leaned heavily into the grooves and let some of the riffs breathe just a little more than we have on the past few releases. I’m really stoked about the new era of Cryptopsy.”
Today, Cryptopsy has unchained the record’s first single, "In Abeyance", and accompanying video, directed by Chris Kells (The Agonist, Beneath The Massacre).
McGachy adds about the new single: “‘In Abeyance’ is conceptually about feeling isolated while being submerged in a new environment. The hunt for a sense of belonging while mourning a previous life. Musically, it’s a slap in the face. It’s a banger that appears to be straightforward yet remains ultra complex.”
Pre-order As Gomorrah Burns and stream “In Abeyance” here. Watch the music video below.
As Gomorrah Burns tracklisting:
"Lascivious Undivine"
"In Abeyance"
"Godless Deceiver"
"Ill Ender"
"Flayed The Swine"
"The Righteous Lost"
"Obeisant"
"Praise The Filth"
"In Abeyance" video:
Cryptopsy has also teased an upcoming fall headlining “Carnival Of Death” tour of North America in support of As Gomorrah Burns. Dates to be announced soon. Follow the band for additional information.
Death metal juggernaut Cryptopsy return to pummel our collective senses anew with their new album, As Gomorrah Burns. Their first for Nuclear Blast, the Montreal-based quartet - featuring founding member/drummer Flo Mounier, guitarist Christian Donaldson, vocalist Matt McGachy, and bassist Olivier “Oli” Pinard - advance their signature Northern power as they celebrate 30-plus years of extremity. The merciless blasts of “Lascivious Undivine” and “Flayed the Swine” offer Cryptopsy at their most intense and maniacal, while “In Abeyance” and “The Righteous Lost” groove savagely. “As Gomorrah Burns” underscores the animus of fan-favorite “None So Vile” (1996) and the meticulous technicality of “And Then You’ll Beg” (2000) with a strikingly sinister vibe.
Formed in 1992, Cryptopsy has released eight full-lengths - counting As Gomorrah Burns - to date. Out of the gate, the Quebecers set new standards in death metal with their no-compromise attack and next-level musicality. Debut album, Blasphemy Made Flesh, shell-shocked all that encountered it, as follow-ups None So Vile, Whisper Supremacy (1998), and Once Was Not (2005) positioned the Canadians as apex predators. Throughout their storied career, the group embarked on high-profile tours, such as the inaugural Death Across America tour in 1998, the Summer Slaughter Tour in 2008, and the Devastation on the Nation tour in 2017. To date, they’ve performed over 1,000 shows across 47 countries. The release of As Gomorrah Burns on Nuclear Blast re-positions Cryptopsy for yet another reign of death metal domination.
As Gomorrah Burns isn’t merely the follow-up to EPs The Book of Suffering - Tome I (2015) and The Book of Suffering - Tome II (2018). It’s another beast entirely. Crafted over two years during the pandemic, the initial sessions took place in a cabin in the forests of Quebec. McGachy calls the horror-like backdrop “surreal,” but, as with everything Cryptopsy, the songwriting process was expectedly arduous. Donaldson was the primary motivator behind “As Gomorrah Burns.” The guitarist and producer served as taskmaster and advocate, grinding out of his bandmates in McGachy, Mounier, and Pinard eight slabs of unadulterated barbarity. If Cryptopsy were formidable before As Gomorrah Burns, they’re absolutely monstrous now.
Conceptually, As Gomorrah Burns pits the Biblical story of Sodom and Gomorrah against the modern-day Internet. McGachy’s idea was to show how it’s both the birthplace of invention and a cesspool of exploitation. The stories are based on real-life incidences - online stalkers, cults, misinformation, isolation, and intimidation - but ornamented deviously to enhance their potency. Cryptopsy commissioned Italian artist Paolo Girardi (Power Trip, Temple of Void) to complement the old-world lyrical themes. If Renaissance masters Hieronymus Bosch and El Greco were thrust into McGachy’s modern mind, the stunning cover of “As Gomorrah Burns” would be the outcome.
As with The Unspoken King (2008) and the self-titled (2012), Cryptopsy enlisted their bandmate Donaldson to helm the production, mixing, and mastering of As Gomorrah Burns. Dom Grimard, of Ion Dissonance fame, also came into the production fold. McGachy says the time in the studio took much longer than anticipated, but with Donaldson directing and everyone finally in the same room again post-pandemic, Cryptopsy were able to capture newfound vigor (and velocity) on As Gomorrah Burns. Tracks such as “Godless Deceiver,” “Ill Ender,” and “Praise the Filth” demonstrate Donaldson’s death metal mastery.
Aggressive to a fault yet thoughtful in its entirety, As Gomorrah Burns - with songs such as “In Abeyance,” “Flayed the Swine,” and “Lascivious Undivine” - pierces mundanity thoroughly and relentlessly. This is no-quarters death metal, the kind our bellicose world needed and only Cryptopsy could deliver.
“We are back,” says McGachy. “I want our fans to know we’re more than a legacy band. Yes, we have had massive cult favorite albums—like None So Vile - but we are creating modern and relevant extreme music 30 years later. We’re so proud of As Gomorrah Burns, and we can’t wait for you to hear it!”
(Photo - Mihaela Petrescu)
