“Drink from the fund of the future.“
Looking for another blend of Pink Floyd and Cynic? While many are surely continuing to ride the celestial coattails of Blood Incantation’s Absolute Elsewhere, Long Island-based outfit Cryptodira have formulated their own constellated event horizon of beauty and brutality with Genesis of Error. Ensure your attention span is adequately capacitated; three songs covering the duration of fifteen minutes is an anomaly by most musical standards unless you’re listening to Tool and/or Between the Buried and Me. With a vast swath of influences ranging from atmospheric rock to Gojira-adjacent technicality, Cryptodira have comingled divergent sound into a uniform delivery of ambient progressive metal on their latest EP.
Staying true to the methodical foundations of prog, Cryptodira display well-paced continuity throughout Genesis of Error. Buildups and breakdowns coincide seamlessly, with every transitive juncture feeling natural and unforced. A prog band’s ability to sustain a dynamically engaging sound has been one of the more topical areas of discourse for as long as the genre has existed. Most seasoned practitioners know this to be anecdotal, yet it has nevertheless persisted. Cryptodira happen to be another gold standard. Antithetical to those who continue to discredit prog’s expansive variance; fully expected for the rest of us. Whether it’s “No Moment” or the titular track, Genesis of Error exhibits the model approach to polyrhythmic oscillation.
If there is any oddity on Genesis of Error, it is solely confined to “The Same River Twice”. An uncharacteristically lean, near two-minute outing, Cryptodira flex more of a tech death backed muscle with a rigid injection of hardcore. Steadfastly aggressive throughout the entire song as opposed to the sectional peaks of Genesis of Error’s other tracks, “The Same River Twice”, in its own way, is highly experimental. Even in their more derivative form, Cryptodira pull off a commanding sonic force.
Genesis of Error is extensively quick. Checking most of the high-mark boxes of progressive metal is no small feat. Cryptodira have managed just that, albeit at the expense of the lulling wistfulness that Genesis of Error could have stood to be a bit longer given its vigorous structure. Regardless, Cryptodira ensure every second is meaningful and auditorily drawn out. Have some mushrooms and sink into the void for a bit; Genesis of Error will pull you in even with psychedelics notwithstanding.
8/10
Genesis of Error has released as of today, July 25 via Silent Pendulum Records and can be ordered here.