Cryptic Shift - Overspace & Supertime

Cryptic Shift’s “Overspace & Supertime,” is a planet. It’s a living, breathing world rife with discoveries and stories. Across its long journey if 5 songs that run 1 hour and 20 minutes , the deep dive that is required to listen to this beast is insane. I don’t know if listening is the right word…this is exploring. Or being. This isn’t a death metal album that you put on for a few minutes at a time as you blow through the tracks on a piecemeal basis.  

This is the epitome of progressive death metal and you must give it a lot of your time because even if you devote your undivided attention to its length, not everything can be absorbed in one setting. This could be a very good thing or a very bad thing, depending on your perspective.  

But I’m a big fan of doom and prog so the long songs don’t bother me but with that being said, this is an esoteric experience and not everyone is going to be able to handle this. But if you’re willing, nothing here is a waste of your time. People like to curl up with long, epic book series or long-winded movies so why not do the same with music? Press play and let your mind drift off with the cosmic journey that awaits.

“Cryogenically Frozen,” is the shortest song on the album and I think that’s a good move to ease people into the rest of the songs—and it also happens to be the most focused of the five songs. Snarling death growls/screams, pervasive drumming, bass rhythms can blow out your hyper drive, and riffs for days are what this song is about. But make no mistake: it still brings the mind-bending prog. From the jazz opening and virtuosic solo to the weird (in a good way) bass, this song still stretches itself across fathoms

But it doesn’t have anything on “Stratocumulus Evergaol.’ It’s only a few precious seconds away from being 30 minutes so it really does include everything and the kitchen sink. Wait…space ship kitchen sink. I don’t know. The first few minutes of this song are psychedelic, tripping, spacey and odd as hell but it works. 

The first half of the song is actually pretty thrashy and the bass is pure fire. Throw in some blazing solos and the result is a chaotic song until around the 12 minute mark, when a clean passage weaves its magic. The bass rises above the mix and settles as the song heads back into extreme territory. 

The rest of the song offers a few more moments of alternating clean/heavy passages but this second half is more melodic while navigating the many twists and turns. 

Much like the opening song, “Hyperspace Topography,” is on the “short” side and is a bit more focused. I like how it layers--the death metal doing its thing while the proggy elements come to the front is magical while ensuring the song stays grounded. 

Its mid-passage is one of my favorite moments on the album. It feels almost curious and whimsical, like discovering some type of wonder. Of course, it explodes like a thousand suns with riffs, speed and depth growls galore. 

“Hexagonal Eyes (Diversity Trepaphymphasyzm)” opens with the guitars being chopped to pieces—it is a weird but cool effect that made my ears feel like they were imploding. 

This song hammers pretty damn hard with the death metal influences rotting their way through but the bass keeps the proggy feel going. This song is probably the one that most effectively combines their death and prog. It's a full run through a blood soaked gauntlet but the technical musicianship is impossible to ignore.

The title track ends the album with a 20 minute banger. The beginning is creepy space fodder that is just floaty enough without feeling too light.

The drums and bass work here during this passage, helping the psychosis to move forward while gearing up for the extreme metal that meets it head on.

Some of the best solos and riffs are on this song and the energy is at an all time high—this song does not send the album quietly into the night.Odd noises and space oddities collide with the thick but rapid grooves while the growls and screams provide a ripper of a time.

The last 3 minutes are a mind fuck. The song ascends into the void with the musical soundtrack of an unraveling mind. 

Cryptic Shift’s “Overspace and Supertime” is a monumental progressive death metal album that showcases a band that isn't trapped in their sound but rather in full control of it. 

Rating: Excellent