From Bandcamp, “"Man has gone out to explore other worlds and other civilizations without having explored his own labyrinth of dark passages and secret chambers, and without finding what lies behind doorways that he himself has sealed. CRYPT OF REASON hails from Homiel, Belarus. Formed in 2008, the band released only one EP in 2013. They had nearly completed writing their debut LP when Pavel, the main songwriter, passed away unexpectedly in 2016. Despite this tragedy, the band has persevered and is proud to present “Stargazer” as a tribute to his memory.”

“Dissolving in Fractal Chaos” is first. The opening tones are slow and dark, as if something evil is spreading across the lands. The harsh vocals echo that feeling, and add in a side of hopelessness. “Illusions of Meanings” is just as devastating, and the tones morph from despair into a deep anger. The vocals also vary from gutturals to whispers, and that changes the dynamic of the song. “Argon” uses psychedelic synths to tell the tale. The main tenant on the album is that following all of the exploration of man on the outside, he has yet to really explore his inside. This paradox comes through strong in this slab of depression. “Lemma” is much shorter, and it doesn’t come out of the gates with a heavily distorted sound. Instead, it creeps inside you like a poison taking hold.

“Savior” is even shorter, and it deals with a lot of darkness and shadows. “The Origin Curse” continues in this vain, and whispered vocals and backing ambiance creates a tale of despair, and woe. “Erebus” has a nice mixture of clean tones with death tones, and also some snippets of melody. But, they are kept hidden under a blankets of darkness. “Hollow Cycles” also uses some clean tones to tell the tale, but the song is very grey, sort of like being caught in a stretch of rainy days for weeks…it can very much damper your spirit. “The Bliss of Quiet” closes the album, and it’s a metaphor for me…when you stop looking inward all the time, your brain can finally rest.

Overall, this cross between Doom and Death Metal was good, but could have been a bit better with just a bit more dynamism and shifting sounds. I like the use of synths here and there, but they could have had a stronger presence, augmenting the sound more. If you are into Doom and/or Death Metal, I would recommend this.