Kryptos was formed in 1998 in Bangalore, India and have long been considered one of the spearheads of the Indian heavy metal revolution. With seven critically acclaimed albums under their belt, they have supported some of metal’s biggest names, like Iron Maiden, Testament, Kreator, Exodus and many more, earning themselves a reputation as a fiery and exciting live act.

The band released their debut album ‘Spiral Ascent’ in 2004 and ‘The Ark of Gemini’ in 2008 before heading out on their first European tour in 2010, making them the first Indian heavy metal band to do so. After signing with AFM Records in 2012, the band released their third record, ‘The Coils of Apollyon’ and followed it up with their first-ever appearance at Wacken Open Air 2013, a European tour in 2014 and a supporting tour with Death Angel in 2015.

2016 saw the worldwide release of their fourth record, ‘Burn Up The Night’, which received praise from all quarters for recapturing the magic of the glorious 80s. A second appearance at Wacken Open Air in 2017 was on the cards as was a European tour supporting seminal American thrashers Sacred Reich. The band then embarked on their first European headlining tour in 2019 and released their fifth and most successful album to date, the vicious and dynamic ‘Afterburner‘, which proudly followed in the best traditions of Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Accept and Thin Lizzy.

The COVID-19 pandemic did not deter the band either as they released their sixth album, ‘Force of Danger,’ in 2021. Kryptos supported the release with a massively successful double-legged European tour that covered 35 shows in 10 countries including numerous sold-out shows in Scandinavia and central Europe, and followed it up with another headlining tour in 2023, where they brought their brand of metal to new territories like Spain and Belgium.

With momentum firmly on their side, Kryptos are all set to power through 2024 once again with the release of their thunderous seventh album, “DECIMATOR” followed by more European dates that will see them blitz stages from Sweden to Poland to Germany and everywhere in between, and, for the very first time, a headlining tour of Australia in the fall that’s sure to cement their reputation as a live act to be reckoned with. 

Be prepared for the heavy metal onslaught coming your way! The final kill is now at hand!

Review

Sirens of Steel is the first song on the album and its intro is beautiful with chords that drift shimmering in the heatwaves on the horizon! Then we are hit with some ripping rhythms and the punishing vocal lines of Nolan Lewis! Sprinkled on top is some delicate melodic notation especially on the choruses! The pace keeps thundering along with a sizzling solo that that feels like its just been lifted out of the frying pan!

Fall to the Spectre’s Gaze opens with some classic heavy metal harmonies and straight away I can imagine this being a big hit on the live circuit! The song pounds along leaving the ground scorched and smouldering. I love how how Nolan and Rohit have little moments where they use little scales to end sections.

Turn up the Heat stomps in and musically uses space taking away guitars at times to create a monster of a track. Again this is certainly got to be a head banger among fans and there is certainly a lot of feeling running through this song both musically and vocally. It has a slight dark smoky vibe which I love. Can you Image walking through the night, smoke everywhere and things a bit hot and sticky? That is is song to me!

As we roughly hit the halfway mark with Electrify we get jolted and the sparks fly. The guitar work in this especially on the choruses is some of favourite I think so far. I got a little Maiden feeling but just a little. You can kind of imagine being on the front barrier of a show heading banging away to the catchy vibe of this song. Excellent stuff!

Solaris changes things up with a big gong and a slower pace to.In this short track we are welcomed by the soft and gentle tones of acoustic guitar sailing through our ear canals. It gradually builds up and the tone of the guitars are gracefully elegant and uplifting. Love it

Decimator picks things back up very quickly. It is intense and feels like a bomb about to go off. It hammers your mind with ballsy double kick drums and quick picked guitar work. The menacing feeling I get from this song is the complete opposite to Solaris and shows the band has no end of killer ideas. So prepare for the shroud to cover you, the skies to turn black and the storm to pelt it down!

In the Shadow of the Blade returns to that old school heavy metal we all love so much and cherish. The bouncy bass tones and little licks of Robin Utbult back the tasty rhythms that keep this track ticking along nicely. JJ Tartaglia changes things up here and there throwing around different drum patterns and the little breakdown that chucks you into the solo section is great. The solo its self feels short but will certainly lift the hairs on your neck!

The opening riff of Pathfinder straight away catches my attention with its epic feel. This mid tempo number delivers more burning heavy metal that Kryptos really know how to deliver! Like similar tracks on the album this is a really solid song. The ferocious vocal lines are there along with glistening rhythms. Another great little song!

We are the Night is the concluding track on the album and feels like an ending track. Its mid pace with uplifting notation almost feeling slightly heroic. It carries you on its back like a horse and hero riding off into the sunset. It has some moments of group vocals but also spices things up with little harmonised guitar licks. Its punchy and when the song strips down to the bash of toms and rhythms you know there will be some fist pumping in the air!

Conclusion

Kryptos are back on form with their latest album, and it’s a metal powerhouse you won’t want to miss! Featuring smoking guitar work, ravenous vocals, scorching solos, and a hammering rhythm section, this album is a thrilling ride from start to finish. It’s a fantastic step up from “Force of Danger” and definitely worth a listen. Go ahead, give it a spin, and crank the volume up to 11!

TheNwothm Score: 8/10

Recorded at Sugarline Studio and Ostronet Studio.
Produced by Jamie Elton & Kryptos.
Mixed and mastered by Jamie Elton.
Artwork by Subhuman Illustrations.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KryptosIndia/
Bandcamp: https://kryptosindia.bandcamp.com/
Website: https://www.kryptosmetal.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kryptosindia/
Contact: kryptosmetal@gmail.com
Label: https://shop.afm-records.de/kryptos/