Canadian extreme metal legends, Cryptopsy, have revealed their depraved, merciless new single, “Flayed The Swine”. Found on the band’s first full-length album in over a decade, As Gomorrah Burns” that’s out September 8 via Nuclear Blast Records, the influential death-dealers’ latest single is an accessible yet face-melting track that takes listeners down a dark and demented path to madness. In true Cryptopsy fashion, the track is accompanied by a horrific, blood-soaked video that will only fuel viewers’ nightmares.
Commenting on the new single, vocalist Matt McGachy says: "‘Flayed The Swine’ is one of the catchiest Cryptopsy songs I have ever written. It is brutal, filled with massive groove sections and extremely vulgar. Lyrically, it concentrates on a mental breakdown, an utter loss of control. We all have dark intentions, but we rarely act upon them. The protagonist by the end of the track most certainly wishes they hadn't.”
Pre-order the album and stream the single here. Watch the video below.
As Gomorrah Burns tracklisting:
"Lascivious Undivine"
"In Abeyance"
"Godless Deceiver"
"Ill Ender"
"Flayed The Swine"
"The Righteous Lost"
"Obeisant"
"Praise The Filth"
"Flayed The Swine" video:
"In Abeyance" video:
Cryptopsy will be on tour this summer/fall with special guests Abysmal Dawn, Hate and Visceral Disgorge. Tickets are available now, here.
Tour dates:
September
7 - Manchester, NH - Jewel Nightclub
8 - Brooklyn, NY - Meadows
9 - Clifton, NJ - Dingbatz
10 - Pittsburgh, PA - Preserving Underground
11 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade (Hell)
12 - Tampa, FL - The Brass Mug
14 - Houston, TX - Scout Bar
15 - Austin, TX - Come And Take It Live
16 - Dallas, TX - TBC
17 - Albuquerque, NM - Launchpad
18 - Las Vegas, NV - Backstage Bar
19 - Mesa, AZ - Nile Underground
20 - San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick
21 - Los Angeles, CA - 1720
22 - San Francisco, CA - DNA Lounge
23 - Roseville, CA - Goldfield Trading
24 - Portland, OR - Dante’s
25 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
26 - Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theater
27 - Boise, ID - The Shredder
29 - Denver, CO - HQ
30 - Lincoln, NE - Cosmic Eye Live
October
1 - Joliet, IL - The Forge
2 - Grand Rapids, MI - The Pyramid Scheme
3 - Toronto, ON - Lee’s Palace
4 - Kingston, ON - Overtime Sports Bar
5 - Quebec City, QC - La Source De La Martiniere
6 - Montreal, QC - Foufounes Electriques
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)
