Cryptic Hatred – Internal Torment
"The Greatest Complement I Can Give A Band
is to Admit That They Made Me Head Bang"
Written by Big Bear Buchko

A quick look through my brief (but prolific) tenure as a staff writer for Metal Temple Magazine, one might come to the conclusion that I have a tendency to hate everything I hear. And while I do try my best to withhold my most devastating cruelties and insults from the page, I have – at times – referred to certain bands (and their albums) as…  well, heartless, soulless, boring, dull, mashed potatoes, gargle bargle, nonsense, unpracticed, uninspired, parody, and wholly unnecessary. And that’s just off the top of my head. And while my biggest fear here is to draft and publish a review that causes strife within a band, I still stand by my opinions, reviews, and the words I write, regardless of the fallout or outcome.

I spent many years myself toiling thanklessly in the world of underground metal. I wrote and recorded; I dragged stacks of amplifiers up and down numerous flights of stairs; I drove all day through the desert to immediately put on make-up and costume to go out on stage and bleed for an hour. I had immense highs and unmeasurable lows; I met and worked with some of the biggest names in the industry; and, in the end, through hundreds of shows performed and thousands of other bands witnessed, I have built myself up a moderately forgotten legacy and an old whore’s wealth of knowledge. By this, that means that when I say something is heartless, boring, mashed potatoes, uninspired, parody, and wholly unnecessary, you can take that shit to the bank.

Luckily, Internal Torment – the 2^nd full-length album by Finnish 4-piece Cryptic Hatred – does not fall under any of those categories. On the contrary - this album is intricate, elaborate, well-thought out, theatrical, punishing, and fun. It is extreme metal at its finest; with varying changes, legitimate song structure, marked choruses, powerhouse solos, and crunchy, gravely, and pure death metal vocals. This isn’t noise for the sake of noise or loud for the sake of being loud; this is a really good album from a really good band, with elements of Cradle of Filth (minus the blast beats) and Ministry (minus the synthetic nature of everything), Internal Torment is easily one of the best records of the year, and certainly one of the best albums to come across my desk in… forever.

The record begins with the dramatically titled “Death is Upon You,” and for a brief moment, I am reminded of Ragnarok-era Gwar. Though that memory fades with the low, guttural growl of the vocal introduction, it’s a fun reminiscence that highlights this gothic group’s sprawling list of musical inspirations. It takes us further inward with “Breeding of Evil;” giving a very friendly, warm, and towering mix of guitar layers that can only harken back to the early days of Slayer, Death, or Kill Em All-era Metallica. It’s a theme that continues well-into the following track – “Chasm of Void” – where not only the best ‘80s-metally noodly goodness begins and closes the song, but it is also here that we’re first introduced to the eloquent guitar soloing excellence that really makes a record like this shine. To hell with the Ramones – I like solos, goddammit. So far, Internal Torment is exciting and enjoyable, and I’m digging every minute of it. I love being surprised like this.

And to my continual surprise, “Homicidal Intentions” begins with a whole new type of guitar – different from most of what we’ve heard so far. A different tuning, different effect, different approach; it is an incredible break in the monotony this this type of genre is known for, and it’s keeping this record interesting. The greatest complement I can give a band is to admit that they made me head bang, and “Homicidal Intentions” did it. Did it and did the shit out of it, and it wouldn’t be the last track to do so either. That is the greatest complement, the cherry on top of a good record, that their rhythm and drive and pack and power and punch got me and got me right into it. Everything else after this is just rock ‘n roll.

Cryptic Hatred’s Internal Torment is 10 tracks of wall-to-wall excellence. From the 80’s thrash overtones to the gothic death theatrics, from the hard-hitting choruses to the ear-splitting solos, this is a really good record. My only complaint stands at the times in which the vocals sound a bit flat or a bit too mixed to the front, but I can’t even necessarily tell you that wasn’t a stylistic choice of the band. In short, I think Cryptic Hatred has what they need to break out, and certainly enough to break it hard out of Finland, and on the strength of Internal Torment is how they’ll light the way.