Thursday, December 17, 2009

CRYPTICUS - THEY CALLED ME MAD! (2008)


Crypticus is the death metal alter-ego of one Patrick Bruss, resident of Denver, Colorado, teller of tales, and purveyor of sick riffs and arcane lore. This mostly one-man project (drums are often handled by a sequencer, but in the case of Mad! were handled by one C. Kumpe) displays a certain lo-fi charm and penchant for thrashy riffing, but what really gets me are both the inherent fascination with the works of H.P. Lovecraft and the Hammer horror-esque vibe present throughout this recording. Using a combination of tinny organ intros, late night horror-movie samples of curious dialogue, and superbly gurgly vocals, Bruss creates more creepy atmosphere than most major label releases ever could, drenching this particular album in equal parts camp and br00tality. Utmost respect to a guy who can incorporate the whole Lovecraft mythos so deftly into his work, and even name drop HIMSELF in the process (see track 1, "Strange Facts In The Case of P.E. Bruss").

Download HERE
Purchase HERE


Crypticus on Myspace



BOGUS BONUS:

Did I mention that CRETACEOUS is playing with THE FUCKING MENTORS at Burnt Ramen in Richmond this Saturday? I'm not sure exactly how I feel about this particular course of events, but it should be... interesting?... if nothing else.
Extra points to the promoter who ALMOST spelled our name correctly on the flyer:


And in related news...