Cryptic Slaughter "Convicted" CD
[Relapse]
Ahhh, it's about time these classics got the full reissue treatment. No more tracking down LP's, or if you're very lucky CD's, for absurd prices on eBay, now you can just snag 'em as remastered CD's with ample bonus tracks! As I'm sure you know (you damn well should), Cryptic Slaughter played raging crossover hardcore/thrash with tons of speed, insanely fast vocal patterns, killer basslines, a few quick lead runs, etc. - all wrapped up in a suitable raw delivery that stands the test of time just fine. In all honesty, Cryptic Slaughter's perfect blend of hardcore/punk and metal has always made them one of my favorite bands of the whole crossover wave, and despite what many would argue I like them better than D.R.I. or many other bands that sort of paved the genre's way. And insanely awesome and moderately catchy blazers like "Lowlife" (my favorite track from this record) are a perfect example of why. Sure, the performances could be slightly tighter, and the sound could be a little bit more rounded, but these guys were really young when they recorded their finest work, and their musicianship was damn near on par with their contemporaries, and as I mentioned I find their songwriting to be even better. It's straightforward and fairly repetitive, generally sticking with short blasts of two minutes or less (with some longer exceptions), but they had great riffs and a really good handle on how to use speed properly, and that really makes a difference. The recording sounds great considering its age. I absolutely love the bass presence, the guitars are raw and sort of choppy but not bothersome, the drums sound about as good as you could hope for under the circumstances, and the relentless vocal shouts are right in the heart of it all. The remastering has definitely kicked the volume levels up to a respectable level as well, which is always nice. Tacked on as a bonus are the five tracks from the band's 1985 demo, "Life in Grave". Understandably the sound on these tracks is a lot rougher, but despite some wear and tear they are listenable and act as a fine document of the band's history. Also included are four live tracks from 1988, recorded in Houston. Of course, it was 1988, and the songs are live, so... the quality is less than great, but the awesome between song banter sounds fine so that's cool at least, ha. The layout keeps the original cover art intact and throws in all of the lyrics for the 14 tracks from the LP, tons of great band photos, liner notes, and some old images of show flyers and good stuff like that. Lyrically the band was surprisingly on point for their young age, tackling a wealth of personal and socio-political topics that are eerily as relevant today as they were way the fuck back in 1986 when this LP originally came out: "Finance your war with our death, Won't die for my country, screw the US, A country dying, we've got no say, You fuck up, we're the ones who pay, Won't help the poor or be second best, Either you like it or die like the rest, We all mean nothing to our twisted earth, Why kill one another, what's it all worth?" This is an awesome reissue well worth checking out. It's so good to finally see these often overlooked records back in print like this. Two thumbs up from me. (8/10)
Running time - 54:06, Tracks: 23
[Notable tracks: Lowlife, Rest in Pain, Nuclear Future, State Control, Black and White]
Relapse Records - http://www.relapse.com

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