One song down and you’re left wondering what makes this album different from the dozens of others released by bands year after year. But a couple more and there dawns realisation that there is always something that separates the wheat from the chaff. ‘Sphere VII’, the first track on this album is loosely based on Dante’s Inferno and while the lyrics are incomprehensible, as is the case in most metal songs, the song speaks of earth as the 7th circle of hell and how the planet will slowly but surely become the 9th and most sinful circle. ‘Heretic Supreme’, arguably the most talked about song on the album, is a clever use of melody. The song starts off with a sample off Preaching a Gospel, much to the distress of gospel metal-heads, and evolves into sheer showmanship of musical precision. The structure of each song is undeniably a result of years of experience and while the album lacks any special reason to stand out, it doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb either. The pattern of each song is carefully woven around a basic riff that drives the song and eventually leads the song through just the right amount of solos and breaks. There is a reasonably well laid out balance between elements of the song and there are only a handful of solos, almost like a breath of fresh air in this age of nerve-wrecking solos. The album maintains an intrinsic sense of melody in most songs and possibly even helps listeners do away with the ignorant notion of metal lacking melody.

What strikes one as tad overwhelming is the overuse of samples. At least 3 songs on the album incorporate a sample, which is not necessarily a terrible thing, but it may have been avoided. All said and done, the album is definitely above average and one which any metal fan might want to buy for the simple reason that the music is relatively flawless and each song is proof of the musical experience of each member.

Kryptos has been the saving grace of metal bands in Bangalore and has undoubtedly made its way into the stereos of listeners all over the country and the world. It is this universal appeal that makes them worth a listen and puts bands like Rudra to shame for trying so hard and yet all in vain.

Editor’s [rating:3/5]