Cryptic Void - Post-Human Godhood EP

 I have no hands and I must riff.

(Originally submitted to the Metal Archives on April 25th 2021) 

Every year, there is a handful of bands that release stuff that goes under the radar and isn't acknowledged by many despite its quality. Cryptic Void is one of those bands, with their 2017 debut Into The Desert Temple being a good, albeit forgotten, album. Following its release they disappeared off the face of the earth, remaining radio silent until this year. Post-Human Godhood is the band's first release since then, and not only does it prove they haven't missed a step, but also that they managed to improve inbetween releases.
From the first track, "Offering to the Technocrats", we can see the band has expanded on their sound with fresh ideas. They haven't abandoned the (grind)core of their music, still utilising aggressive riffing and punk-styled drumming, but leads like the one at 0:20 were completely absent from the debut. For an EP that clocks in at a mere 7 minutes the tracks are quite busy, contrary to most of grind bands, with each track having a standout lead or riff, like the crawling riff at 0:37 of "Cyber-Servitude", or the opening of "Ghost in the Machine".
Despite those strengths though, the EP is far from flawless. Not only is it too brief, even by grindcore standards, there's also the fact that "Between Two Ages" doesn't quite stick out like the other tracks. It's a shame that after 4 years all that we get is 4 tracks that don't even breach the 10 minute mark.

On the production side of things things are much better thankfully. The instruments sound meaty and forceful, with the drums in particular providing a sturdy backbone for the rest of the band to build upon. The mixing is also quite good, with the instruments having room to breathe and not overtaking one another, though sadly the bass is a bit buried, getting lost during the faster moments.
Lyrically the band has moved from the cosmic horror concept of the debut to a dystopian sci-fi world where machines reign over the human species, along with themes of transhumanism. All that is delivered by Stephen Bower in a low, guttural roar, giving his patterns a certain percussive quality. It's serviceable for a small release such as this, and hopefully the band will give us yet another concept-focused album in the near future.
Post-Human Godhood is a pleasant surprise from one of the more obscure bands around, and despite its brevity it shows that the 4 years of silence weren't for naught. We can only hope for a new release in the near future by these guys, where the ideas present here get a full length's worth of time to be expanded upon.
Highlights: Offering to the Technocrats, Ghost in the Machine

Rating:73% 

  

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