Crypt Lurker

U.S. death metallers Deconsecration emerged a few years ago, gaining a quick boost due to their 2020 demo through Caligari Records. Later this year, they would cook up their debut full-length, titled Crypt Lurker. Following the OSDM foundation laid down before, this acts as a healthy treat to clean up some of the demo-stage burrs.

Much like many of their colleagues, little wheel reinvention happens, but complete cementation of their sound is pulled off wonderfully. Rather than laying on the gas full-throttle, Crypt Lurker takes the pacing to a cooler degree by introducing sluggish, fear-driven passages to reel in the ear. There’s certainly no shortage of blistering speeds and machine-gun drum clicking, but that’s hardly meant to act as the main dish. Moreover, the vocals will take the double-track approach of combining higher shrieks to accompany the unforgiving and lifeless gutturals from time to time.

A star example would be “Cephalic Fermentation” on the A-side. The way that tremolo riffs are saturated to feel like one long punch allows a firm grounding to be made before the strong breakdowns, leading to a groovier bridge. It can be a bit tough to swallow at times, as the sheer weight of this makeup certainly requires the right mood. But the focus on the fearful element makes it worthwhile. “Imploding Ascent” lets layers unfold in a progression most fitting. Working backwards, it slows down its explosive (implosive?) intro to a burning gallop before topping it off with warmer leads.

Are Deconsecration anything special? Hardly. Do they land the ship of the dime-a-dozen bands of this style smoothly? Yes, and it’s the little things that make it worthwhile. The use of tremolos without putting too much energy towards breakneck speeds is what really seals the deal.