CRYPTOPSY - Ungentle Exhumation Digipack CD

Official re-issue limited to 300 copies on CD in a 4-panel Digipak with a transparent tray. Comes with a transparent disc with silhouetted print, of the Demo '93 "Ungentle Exhumation".

Back in the early 90s, one of death metal's future leaders would be conceived in Quebec, Canada by some aspiring musicians. Necrosis, later changing their name to Cryptopsy, was this particular band that was one of many superb death metal bands of the era. In 1993, the band released their demo "Ungentle Exhumation", and quickly made a mark on the world wide death metal scene.

What did this demo have to offer? Quite a lot. First of all, the production is surprisingly clear for a demo, and I'd even say it's better recorded than their debut LP. The guitars are thick and full of character, the bass is just audible enough to prove effective... and the drums were some of the most punishing things to be recorded. A young talent known as Flo Mounier was just starting to burst onto the drum world with this demo, and blew everyone's mind with his flair, technicality, and speed. And don't forget the legendary Lord Worm, the man with some of the sickest vocals on earth, also blows everyone's ear drums with this demo.

So, we have extremely competent musicians, and a well recorded demo. But the question is, what were the songs like? It's obvious the songs on here ruled. Furthering the direction that Suffocation started, Cryptopsy took those percussive riffs, and added counterpoint riffs of tremolo picked, violent streams of shifting melodies. Here we have four songs displaying a lot of memorable riffs, blast beats, and lyrics of poetic torture and insanity. Could a death metal fan ask for anything more?

The guitar solos presented on the album are of high caliber, and sound well thought out, with the addition to being well played. These solos create an excellent counter point to the vicious grinding onslaught that exists for the rest of the songs, while still being quite extreme themselves.

The verdict is that this demo is essential for all death metal fans. It's possible to find a reissue on CD, so there really is no excuse not to hear this.