A bruising brand of classic Old School Death Metal heavily reminiscent of early Florida titans like Cannibal Corpse and Death, blended with the unrelenting speed of Vader. Their sophomore full-length, ‘The Non-Return’, shows a four-piece completely locked into the golden era of the genre without feeling like a lifeless tribute act. Let’s talk about what these Spaniards have cooked up on this record. Production-wise, this album strikes that perfect sweet spot between a raw, filthy underground rehearsal tape and a punchy, professional studio mixHailing from Málaga, Spain, Krypticy delivers. The guitar tone dialed in by Alex Warrior and Sergio Álvarez is razor-sharp, packed with a gritty, saw-toothed mid-range bite that immediately transports you back to a Morrisound recording session circa 1993. It has just enough grease to feel dirty but enough clarity to let the notes cut through.
What really anchors the whole sonic assault, though, is Thomas Schenk’s bass work. Instead of getting buried under the guitars, his bass tone is beautifully prominent, clanking and popping through the mix with a heavy, driving resonance that reminds me of Jo Bench’s legendary presence. When combined with Pancho’s precise drumming technique—shifting seamlessly from punishing blast beats to caveman-like mid-tempo double-bass runs—the rhythm section creates a dense, completely impenetrable wall of sound. Over the top of this racket, Alex Warrior’s vocal style brings massive charisma to the table, delivering deep, guttural growls that focus on rhythmic hooks and clear enunciation rather than just unintelligible noise.
Take a track like ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’. It demonstrates exactly how well the band navigates shifting tempos; it kicks off with a menacing, slow-rolling crawl before mutating into an absolute buzzsaw of speed picking that threatens to rip your head clean off. On the flip side, ‘Ugh!’ ramps up the blast factor from the jump, injecting a dose of knuckledragging mosh grooves that will have any self-respecting pit warrior swinging their fists. The solos are equally wild, flashing some classic whammy-bar abuse and frantic harmonic squeals without overstaying their welcome.
If there’s any constructive critique to level at ‘The Non-Return’, it’s simply that Krypticy isn’t breaking any new ground. You have likely heard these structural patterns, time signatures, and horror-soaked themes before if you’ve spent any time digging through the extreme underground. But honestly? When the riffcraft is this sharp and the band’s genuine love for old-school violence leaks through every single note, originality takes a back seat to pure execution. It’s a relentless, fun, and neck-snapping slab of Death Metal that does the old school proud.
