Cryostorm - Destroyer Of Ardor

Pipers Retreat Music 2011

1.Cryostorm 2.Solacing 3.Destroyer Of Ardor 4.Beyond Victory

5.I Am Anomaly 6.Furnacing (I Defrost)

An onslaught of no holds barred melodic death/thrash greets an unsuspecting listener, the bands intentions clear from the outset. Opener ‘Cryostorm’ is a fury of Swedish inspired death/thrash metal  with heavy doses of melody to keep things interesting and varied. Lead guitars are used brilliantly over the melodic assault and the sound is then maximised with some almost sing along chorus lines. The scene is being set for some first rate extreme metal. The song sets a furious pace, breaking temporarily for a melodic guitar interlude, then returning to the sonic barrage. ‘Solacing’ is very similar to the opening track, lead guitars again at the forefront of the sound, twin guitar harmonies very effective and again, very Swedish in their structure, composition and sound. Take the melody from early In Flames and mix that with the brutality of Dimension Zero and that’s pretty much what Cryostorm are producing. It’s an intriguing mix which works extremely well with a good mix of melody and brutality to keep most extreme metal fans happy!

‘Destroyer Of Ardor’ shows the bands more brutal edge off, blast beats introduced over the brutal, yet melodic riffing. The musicianship on show is outstanding and the guitars really begin showing their class when the leads are introduced. The pace continues to be unrelenting with ‘Beyond Victory’ and the drumming that thomas delivers really begins to bring the songs to life and keeps the brutal nature of the tracks to the fore which enhances the guitar work. ‘I Am Anomaly’, sees the band at their most brutal and technical, it’s a whirlwind of a track, the death/thrash onslaught really pushing the sound to new limits. ‘Furnacing (I Defrost) closes the cd, a new sound being incorporated to give sections a slightly industrial / rock feel which actually sits quite well amongst the blazing guitar work. Lead guitars particulary prominent and really showing off the talents of the band.

All six tracks are faultless, the production a highlight and an absolute monster which adds a lot of power to the tracks, the double kick drums absolutely thundering out of the speakers. Cryostorm are a very talented bunch of individuals who have come together to produce some absolutely outstanding technical, melodic death/thrash metal played flawelessly and very appealing. Cant recommend this highly enough.

9 out of 10

I Am Anomaly by Cryostorm