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Review Summary: With Afterburner, Kryptos don't just deserve your attention, they're demanding it. It's safe to say that most metal fans have what I like to call, the "sweet spot". This is where it just seems a band can do no wrong, and hover at just the right intensity, structure or tone. With Afterburner, Kryptos have created an undeniably entertaining collection of songs, that lands itself right in the middle of that spot for fans of traditional and early thrash metal. Despite somewhat lacking in variety, Afterburner has the potential, from this listeners perspective, to be a dark horse album of the year candidate.
Stylistically, Kryptos are delightfully shameless in showcasing their affection for Metal, never veering into any sort of progressive grandioseness or technicality. Instead, Afterburner is more than happy to remain at its mid to fast pace riffs, mildly raspy shouts, and catchy as hell song structures. With blistering opener and title track Afterburner, it's immediately made present this is undeniably a proper heavy metal album, no question there… Yet Kryptos have somehow straddled that line of being catchy and inoffensive, without ever sacrificing the sincerity of their desire to make 100% authentic kick ass metal.
This balancing act is done to perfection on the smooth Red Dawn which has a slightly slower tempo and softer lead riff than the rest of the album, but the infectious leads will stay with you for days. Similarly, the fast tempo tracks, like Crimson Queen and the aforementioned Afterburner crank up the intensity while still retaining the infectiousness heard throughout.
Unfortunately, that fluctuation in tempo is quite limited, and it can take a few listens before each song will become immediately distinguishable from the next. So, with it's admittedly monotonous pace and tone, how could this possibly be an Album of the Year contender? To put it simply, there is no other album that is so relentlessly endearing in the same way Afterburner is. Every single song has infectious riffing, good structure, and never requires the listener to make an investment in order to reach a payoff. Just throw on some headphones, hit play, and enjoy. That's it. That about sums up how I feel about this album, and how it lands itself in the AOTY conversation. When you just need to hear metal, you will absolutely be satiated with this no matter what track you start with.
Bravo, Kryptos! Afterburner is wildly entertaining, unbelievably consistent, and just kicks ass in general.
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Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off
Please excuse the quotation marks, I wrote this on mobile and the formatting got a little wonky. I'll fix those errors when I get the opportunity.
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Here's a question mark to edit in the review; it will fix the bug of it not appearing. ？
As for the review, it's brief but in a good, concise manner. I'm not really sold on your descriptions, however, if I'm being honest. Anything that is by-the-numbers can never really reach greatness no matter how good it may be due to how safe it is, and by consequence how little it offers per its own unique merits rather than those of other acts.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Album is indeed awesome, but the review feels lacking. Lots of generalizations but no specific examples.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off
Thanks Mars, I'll copy that and save it to a word doc for later use.
South - I had thought about that while writing it, my intention was to emphasize the overall sound, but I see your point here. Thanks for the feedback
| | | Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off
WATCH OOOUUTT!!!!!!
This album deserved a review, have a pos.
Title track and Red Dawn are among my favorite songs of the year, super catchy material, but in my opinion the others aren’t at the same level.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
decent review for being your third. keep cranking 'em out and working on improvements and eventually you'll get the results you want.
got me to check this out. it's not bad
| | | Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off
Appreciate the feedback fellas. I don't review often here, but I felt this band could easily be overlooked and deserved a spotlight.
TheNoTrap, definitely agree on those two being elite. I'd also throw Crimson Queen in that group as well. My scores are always fluid, which is why I mentioned potential AOTY. Time will tell if this has staying power or not, but for now I still feel the strength of this album is the ability to drop in at any point in the album and enjoy the hell out of it. For my busy work schedule, this is a huge focal point.
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Album is good ol' metal fun. Good review, man.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Whoa title track jams hard
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Fuck this jams hard
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
sup Hans
| | | Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off
Bumping THE RIFFS
| | | Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off
New album has its moments but is less interesting than this one, in my opinion.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Didn't even know they had a new album coming out...
| | | Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off
Agree with TheNoTrap, but honestly I think the production of the new album neutered the "slower" songs near the end of the album. A little of the modern chunky sound would have gone a long way
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
This is a pretty good trad HM release, might even bump it up a notch. Other albums by them I should listen to?
Edit: these guys sure love to play in A.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off
@DePlazz, Burn Up The Night is pretty damn solid and also contains, in my opinion, the sickest metal riff i've ever heard in the album opener "Blackstar Horizon."
The Coils of Apollyon is a fantastic album that will sound like a different band altogether. Reminds me of early Trivium a bit. More of a metalcore approach & sound, and completely different production focus. Not really any bad songs on this one, I'd recommend the track Nexus Legion if you're looking for trve kvlt approved metal, or Starfall if you want to hear the catchiest song ever written.
Edit: Shit, I forgot to mention Serpent Mage, which first off is a sick song title... but this tune dives back and forth between speedy thrash and classic authentic doom metal. it requires some investment, but it might be my favorite Kryptos song ever.
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