Cryoxyd - This World We Live In...

Cryoxyd is a French death metal band who formed in 2000.   “This World We Live In…” is their full-length debut, having also released a few demos over the years.   

Much has been said elsewhere about how they have a familiar vibe to Death and Pestilence, so I’m not going to dive too much into that other than to say those comparisons are familiar. While this album’s atmosphere and style would definitely sound just find in the early to mid 90’s era of technical death metal, I find they very much have their own thing going and fit just fine into the modern era of the genre too.

This is the kind of technical death metal I like:  virtuosic performances and solos that will cave in your mind-hole but it isn’t overly flashy or all ‘widdly wham’ like so many other tech bands sound.

The production and mix echo the past as well—it doesn’t have that cold, sterile that permeates much of the current tech death scene.  It actually sounds quite warm in places, especially concerning the bass guitar.

The album makes use of instrumental tracks quite well.  Normally, intro/outros and interludes annoying the ever living fuck out of me but Cryoxyd makes good use of them, especially in terms of placing the songs together for the betterment of the overall flow of the album.

The first proper song is “Day After Day,” which begins with a dense rumbling of riffs and drums–encompassing and immediate.  The drums are awesome across the whole song, sometimes sounding like someone falling down a flight of stairs in rhythm.  Does that make sense?  Sure.  The guitars are all over the place, in a good way with sudden tempo changes keeping me guessing even as my head is forced to bang.  Oh, and the chorus is catchier than it has a right to be.

“Injected Minds,” bashes and dashes as one would expect but the guitar solos are out of this world exciting.  They change the dynamics of the songs as they drift in and out of the framework, moving the rhythms to interesting passages while also letting the bass breathe.  The middle segment is intense, the deathly screams clawing out from under more surprisingly catchy riffs.  Subtle use of synths/keys add yet another layer to this monstrosity. 

“Effigy of the Unknown,” is one of the instrumentals I was speaking of earlier.  This one is a full song though so it has plenty of time to extend its tendrils.  The solos are especially potent, but the entire song is, once again, more infectious than I would have ever guessed. Not a bad thing, at all.

“Bodycell,” is one of my favorite songs on the album.  The ominous beginning leads into a thrashy passage where the band plays it balls out. The unrelenting, machine gun like precision is as impressive as it is deadly.  The solos are something special too, almost otherworldly and matched tenfold by the drumming. The last minute or so of the song is melodic and yet another passage that will get stuck inside your head.

The final proper song is “Mindless Human Form - Trans #2” and its speed makes it dizzy.  I like the moments where the tempo drops a few notches so the bass and really slam it out alongside the solos. The slow, groovy riffs after the 3-minute mark are impressive, as are the vocals that accompanying them, just the right amount of echo. The intensity builds back up suddenly before song ends with slower groove.   

Cryoxyd’s “This World We Live In,” is a seriously impressive tech/prog death album with a lot to offer—and a lot of reasons to go back and explore it over and over.  For those tired of modern tech, this is the album you need.

Rating: Excellent