Cryptopsy and Suffocation were announced for Complexity fest earlier this year, however both had to cancel their appearance. Cryptopsy decided to make up for that missed gig and came to Haarlem after all, only a bit later. To Dutch bands were added to the bill as they are touring without supports.

The opening act was Spectrum of Delusion. I hadn’t heard of them before, but apparently they just released their debut album. They play some form of technical death metal, generally fast-paced and mostly quite melodic. The vocals are particularly dull, and their is little activity on the stage. Despite all the musical prowess, the music lacks any aggression and power. And in the end most of the songs sound very similar.

Infernum, the second band of the evening doesn’t lack aggression. They appeared to have won a couple of metal battles in the short period they exist and now just released their debut EP. This gig was the release show. The basis of their music is formed by death metal, and these death metal parts sound pretty good. However they mix in all kinds of modern industrial, groove, core or whatever elements. Not bad but not really my thing.

Then of course there was Cryptopsy. They are touring in Europe now and play the whole None So Vile album. Off that records, only drummer Max is still in the band which feels a bit old. Before that they played three other songs, two newer and Mutant Christ of the godly debut album. And then rolled into None So Vile, starting with the sample from the Exorcist III: Legion – obviously. It all sounded very tight overall, like it is supposed to. Only during the solos the sound is a bit thin due to the lack of a second guitar and some of the solos were a bit sloppy. Anyway it is great to here a couple of other songs from None So Vile than the usual Slit Your Guts and Phobophile as the material is so strong. Especially when compared to the more pretentious later albums. On the other hand, I have never been a fan of playing whole albums. It makes the set very predictable and – as Metallica put it when the played the Black album as a whole but in reverse – you play the strongest material up front and then the weaker songs are played last and Lichmistress and Orgiastic Disembowelment are the two last and least interesting songs of the album. All in all very enjoyable gig never the less. Next time play Blasphemy Made Flesh.