India’s Kryptos have been rocking an entertaining retro metal formula for several albums now, fusing classic metal sounds with slight black and thrash edges. Platters like Burn Up the Night and Afterburner are nigh-irresistible rocket rides of gleaming chrome, black leather, and glistening steel, delivering more fun than a barrel full of hobo wine and wiffle bats. 2021s Force of Danger was a bit of a step down in overall fun factor, with too much mid-paced chugging, though it had several big moments to endear it to fans of their schtick. Now comes 7th album Decimator and there’s a new page or two in the Kryptos cookbook. They still sound like someone forced Coroner’s Ron Royce into vocal duty for 80s Accept and they still aim to rock you like a Kryptocane, but there’s a greater emphasis on melodic guitar-play this time out. That means riffy, rowdy, hard rock-infused metal anthems made for the stadium circuit and that’s not a bad place to re-position the Kryptos persona. But does the pure metal fire still burn brightly on Decimator or is their throwback fetish beginning to show its age?
I’ll say this for these chaps, they don’t go in for faff or fluff. They come right at you on opener “Sirens of Steel” with all guns blazing and engines in overdrive. It’s exactly the kind of tune you want from them, full of galloping riffs and soaring guitar flourishes as Nolan Lewis croaks and snarls like a rabid hedgehog that just humped your prize petunias. Lewis and lead axe Rohit Chaturvedi bring the best thunder from the Tundra with guitar heroics ripped out of the 80s so hard that the air reeks of the Reagan Administration and cheap gasoline. You simply can’t hear this song and be in a sour mood, no matter how trve and kvlt you pretend to be. “Fall to the Spectre’s Gaze” is the same gumbo but with spicier okra. Once again Lewis and Chaturvedi rob the graves of Dokken, Keel, Cities, and Accept for inspiration and rock your socks way off in the process. And that chorus is the chef’s kiss. “Electrify” is an album standout due to its fist-pumping, teen-rager energy and raucous charm. It makes you want to race from destination to destination chugging cheap beers with idiot friends til you can race no more. Elsewhere, the title track sounds like underappreciated Canadian thrashers of yore, Sacrifice, reminding me that Lewis’s vocals are not far removed from those of Rob Urbinati.
Other big winners include “In the Shadow of the Blade” which lashes you with uber-polished but blood-pumping riffs and offers a slightly heavier vibe approaching the lighter side of Kreator. If you play this in your vehicle you will almost certainly break the speed limit by unsafe margins. “Pathfinder” also offers an orgy of greasy guitars and a pugnacious attitude that sticks in your head. There are no bad songs here, though one or two hit a bit less forcefully. At a very lean 31-plus minutes, there’s not much here but muscle and skin. There’s a short interlude, but other than that, this is all alloy, rebar, and concrete and it goes by fast and easy.
With what Kryptos do, the guitar work has to be aces or the whole construct comes crashing down. Luckily Lewis and Chaturvedi know their roles and deliver a fuck-ton of blazing six-string glory. They absolutely nail the 80s metal ethos and sound and at any moment they remind me of several albums I worshipped as teenage metal mouthbreather. The infusion of more melodic fretwork is a boon, and though I wish they would delve deeper into speed and thrash at times, I love what they do across Decimator. Lewis is extremely limited as a vocalist, with a one-note ragged snarl that varies little from moment to moment, but somehow it fits and never seems to undersell the material. Vijit Singh pounds away on the kit manfully, providing a booming backdrop for the guitars, and Robin Utbult (Vicious Rumors, ex-Air Raid) guests as bassist, offering a workmanlike performance, rarely injecting himself forcefully into the fray.
Decimator is a comeback of sorts for Kryptos, moving them closer to killer albums like Afterburner. This is the kind of record you put on, bang your head to, and feel surprised when it ends and you realize you just lost 30-plus minutes. It’s not intellectual, innovative, or forward-thinking, but it will activate your dental plan as it forces a good time on your gloomy ass. In these days of stress and strife, we all need things like this. My advice: blast this thing as loud as humanly possible and let it take to Air Guitar Old School. I’ll be there selling smokes, test results, and discount wedgies. Ask for the Powerlord.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 11 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: AFM
Websites: kryptosindia.bandcamp.com/album/decimator | facebook.com/kryptosindia | instagram.com/kryptosindia
Releases Worldwide: July 5th, 2024
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Along with Satan’s Hallow’s fantastic debut/swansong, Kryptos’ Afterburner rekindled my love of traditional heavy metal. Granting my lifelong wish of experiencing the 1980s firsthand, Kryptos whisked me along for a midnight motorcycle joyride. Afterburner did nothing that hadn’t been overdone before, but its command of thrilling riffs made me an immediate devotee. However, Kryptos’ 2021 follow-up Force of Danger lacked danger, settling into a mid-paced routine that left me satisfied but wanting. Decimator sees India’s rockstar darlings step into more melodic territory while ratcheting up the energy. Although hints of Force of Danger’s missteps remain, Decimator marks a triumphant new direction for Kryptos.
Decimator targets thrill seekers, headbangers, and foot tappers alike. Blending Priest circa 1980 with Priest circa 1990, Kryptos are hell-bent for leather. Speedier anthems channel the relentless fun of Motörhead (“Sirens of Steel”), while slower chugfests show Kryptos living after midnight. The biggest change in Kryptos’ sound is the band’s newfound melodic touch. Guitar wizards Rohit Chaturvedi (lead) and Nolan Lewis (rhythm) never stop riffing for a moment, but Decimator’s soaring leads and 110-on-the-freeway solos add a brand new dimension. Vijit Singh’s drums move in lockstep, while Robin Utbult’s bass melodies channel a young Steve Harris without the gallops, adding depth when the guitars take a breather. Lewis’ roaring vocals, spinning innovative tales about late-night drives and neon lights and perseverance and stuff, add an extreme metal energy that keeps Kryptos sounding modern. Decimator provides fodder for adrenaline junkies of all stripes.
As always, Kryptos’ greatest strength is their blazing riffwork. Kryptos’ speedier cuts on their earlier albums had hit me hard, and Decimator follows suit. “Sirens of Steel” opens the album with remorseless violence, while the title track’s frantic opening gives way to a touch of evil. Songs like “Electrify,” the “Mach Speed Running” of Decimator, rank among Kryptos’ best work with their magical blend of simplicity and sheer power. On the other hand, Decimator’s slower tracks are hit-or-miss. “Turn up the Heat” crushes me with a thumping bass line and a main theme that’s mid-paced but ferocious, mirroring Afterburner’s “Red Dawn.”1 However, the album’s closers “Pathfinder” and “We Are the Night” fall short of delivering the same goods, with sluggish ideas that lose my attention. More generally, Decimator’s second half seems to run out of ideas, with riffs that sound fun but uncannily familiar. Decimator is powerful, but it loses some steam despite its concise 31-minute runtime.
Decimator’s mastery of melody raises Kryptos to new heights. Stratospheric leads permeate each song, providing gorgeous backing that unexpectedly evokes Jess and the Ancient Ones (“Electrify”). But Decimator hits hardest when the melodies take the reins. “Fall to the Spectre’s Gaze” vies for Song o’ the Year through a divine guitar solo with a divine lead-in. Five tracks later, “In the Shadow of the Blade” miraculously pushes in front with solo work that summons the intensity of Painkiller. Each of these highlights shines through Decimator’s rich production job. When I listen to Decimator, I feel like I’m lodged in between the guitar strings, and mere inches from the bass. Every reverberation of every string bleeds through both melodic bonanzas like “Fall to the Spectre’s Gaze” and riff-fests like “Electrify.” Every guitar solo feels like a personalized jam, complete with thoughtful foreshadowing from Kryptos’ riffs. With tunes this powerful, Decimator is unstoppable.
While Decimator fizzles out near its end, it’s exhilarating nonetheless. Kryptos has yet to fully overcome the lethargic chugs that plagued Force of Danger, and Decimator struggles with repetition. Even so, every listen through the album feels like sprinting a marathon. Even more impressively, Decimator levels up Kryptos’ sound through both its supersonic guitar leads and its striking production. Sometimes you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. You just need to burn rubber.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
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