Year : 2016
Style : Old School Heavy Metal
Country : India
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans + Video
Size : 149 mb
Bio:
Traditional melodic metal mixed with the aggression of bay area thrash. Evoking the true spirit of heavy metal the way it was always meant to be. No compromises. Denim and leather rules the night.Kryptos was formed in late 1998 in Bangalore, India, and have long been considered one of the spearheads of the Indian heavy metal revolution. Fighting the good fight for almost two decades, the band has released three critically acclaimed albums, supported some of the biggest names in metal and toured Europe multiple times. Kryptos released their first album, Spiral Ascent, in 2004, which quickly spread through the Indian metal underground and other parts of the world. In 2008, the band signed with Old School Metal Records from California and released The Ark of Gemini before embarking on their first European tour in 2010, making them the first Indian heavy metal band to do so. Kryptos then signed with AFM Records from Germany and released their devastating third record The Coils of Apollyon in 2012, which met with stellar reviews from all quarters. The band followed this up with a first ever appearance at Wacken Open Air in 2013, a cross country European tour in 2014 and a supporting tour with Death Angel in 2015.Highly influenced by Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Thin Lizzy and Accept, as well as Coroner and Kreator, Kryptos still manage to create an identity of their own while staying true to their roots. Over the years the band has opened for Iron Maiden, Testament, Kreator, Destruction, Death Angel and many more, further enhancing their reputation as a fiery and exciting live act. The band are currently signed to Seaside Touring for bookings in Europe and are also endorsed by Gibson Guitars.2016 promises to be a breakout year for the band with the imminent release of their fourth album through AFM Records, entitled Burn Up The Night. With stunning 80’s cover art by Mattias Frisk and a bare knuckles approach, the album brings back the glory days of heavy metal with razor sharp riffs, screaming solos and a raging twin guitar attack. Trends may come and go, but Kryptos continue to reinforce the old school ethos that they proudly swear by.
Album:
Adorn your battle jackets, pull up those spikes and open up the beers, for Kryptos is here with their much anticipated album number four titled ‘Burn Up The Night’. One look at the artwork and you know what will be served. Mattias Frisk’s tribute to the 80’s golden era of Heavy Metal features a simplistic steel fist emanating static, with the band’s name written in a razor sharp silver font drenched in a sea of black and red. It looks in stark contrast with the band’s previous offering ‘Coils of Apollyon’ in 2012 with Mark Riddick’s maggot filled demon seated with a sceptre ornamented with a skull. This is evidence enough that the band is taking a slightly different direction deviating from its thrashy mix of melodic Heavy Metal sound to a more straight-up NWOBHM influenced flavor on this new album.The album opens up with “Blackstar Horizon”, a heavy metal anthem that instantly makes you pump your fists to its mid-tempo groove. The track has that trademark Old School Metal feel that is characteristic of Kryptos, albeit a slightly slower version of their former self. The song revolves around a melodic main riff backed by a sustained gallop and rounded up by Nolan Lewis’ raspy vocals. The second track, “Full Throttle” was the first single released by the band for this album and gives off a similar vibe but cranks up the catchiness manifolds. It is one of my favourite tracks on the album and I just can’t get enough of that intro riff. The guitar harmonies and the steady drum pattern will transport you back to the years when you first fell in love with Heavy Metal. It is hard not to feel nostalgic with the guitar work and the overall arrangement on this album. Consider “Waverider” as an example; you cannot stop but think of Iron Maiden while listening to it. Faster in pace as compared to others, “Waverider” will make you bang your head right from the opening riffs, through the chorus and definitely make you air-guitar on the solo.Guitarist Rohit Chaturvedi’s riffs are razor sharp and his immaculate solos on this album will definitely make you fall in love with his work. I challenge you to try and keep your hands from air-guitaring on the solo of “One Shot To Kill”. It is also hard not to get lost in the innumerable twin guitar harmonies strewn across on this album. Some of the riffs on this album just get stuck in your head for hours after you have listened to the album. Nolan Lewis’ trademark hiss cuts across the melody like a spiteful snake out for vengeance. His vocals do go a long way to give Kryptos its unique identity and his legacy is maintained on this album as well. Drummer Anthony Hoover’s work is tight and crisp and Ganesh Krishnaswamy’s bass work provides a nice cushion to the distortion, his tone amplifying the thump in the composition.The band has clearly taken a more simplistic route for songwriting than their previous attempts, especially when compared to their previous album ‘Coils of Apollyon’. Also, the guitars seem to have lost a bit of the edginess we saw in their previous attempts and the drum work too is fairly simplistic and straightforward. However, I don’t want to convey this as a weakness but merely a change in the direction for the band. They seem to have cut the frills and focused to create a sound which is a clear derivative of the bygone NWOBHM era. Although different from their previous albums but the emotions and power the band delivers remain intact despite this transformation.The production perfectly preserves the old school ethos the band swears by. Although it is quite raw, but every member is heard equally well in the mix. However, the mix itself could have sounded a bit louder with a slightly more aggressive tone. Comparing it with the production of their previous album, I felt ‘Burn Up The Night’ falters slightly. However, it is only a minor flaw in an otherwise flawless effort. Kryptos reinforce their legacy with their latest album ‘Burn Up The Night’. The flag bearers of Indian Heavy Metal deliver a powerful sound full of nostalgia recreating the glorious NWOBHM era in this 40 minute ride. It also paves the way to an interesting new direction the band may take for the future which we should definitely watch out for.
Line-Up:
Ganesh K. - Bass (1998-2005, 2013-present), Vocals (1998-2005) - See also: Bevar Sea, Witchgoat
Nolan Lewis - Guitars (1998-present), Vocals (2005-present) - See also: ex-Aeons of Sorrow, Witchgoat
Rohit Chaturvedi - Guitars (lead) (2006-present) - See also: Millennium
Anthony Hoover - Drums (2013-present) - See also: Neolithic Silence, Witchgoat
Tracklist:
01. Blackstar Horizon 04:20
02. Full Throttle 03:51
03. The Summoning 05:22
04. Unto Elysium 05:51
05. One Shot to Kill 04:48
06. Waverider 04:48
07. Prepare to Strike 05:50
08. Burn Up the Night 05:17
+ Video "Full Throttle" (Official Video)
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