CRYSKNIFE
"Disbelieve"
(Self-produced; 2002)
Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton
Listening to the three tracks found on Crysknife's "Disbelieve," the music of Deep Purple (one of my favorite bands) and of bands like Fun Manchu came to mind. That may sound like a bizarre combo, but, for Crysknife, it works really well.
"Disbelieve" begins with the title track, which itself starts with a thunderclap riff and then blends nicely into a catchy rhythm and chorus that will have your toe tapping. "Blast Furnace," the next track, begins with a deceptively cool keyboard and then builds into a steady rocker, with a stand-out vocal performance. From its first few note, you might think the final track, "Inviolate," is a hard rock ballad along the lines of KISS's "Forever." Again, however, the band kicks it up a notch and, although "Inviolate" never becomes a hard rocker, it does nicely simmer.
As I did with the first demo we received from Crysknife, I truly enjoyed "Disbelieve." If I have any concern, it's that the three songs on "Disbelieve" are all somewhat similar in pace and style and that a full-length from the band might be too much of a good thing. But that's a minor complaint. The bottom line is this: I look forward to hearing more from this talented band.
Crysknife: Stephen Campitelli - synthesizers, drums programming, vocals; Thomas Campitelli - guitars, vocals.
For more information, check out http://www.crysknifeband.com.
"Demo 2000" (Self-produced)
Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton
According to their press release, "Some of Crysknife's favorite bands are Metallica, Deep Purple, Helmet, Paradise Lost, Carcass and Voivod." Strangely enough, Crysknife is a very successful combination of the above bands and more - a conglomeration of hard music styles that stands out as a style all of its own.
The four track demo cassette we received from Crysknife was impressive on a lot of levels. Not only are brothers Steve and Tom Campitelli very confident and competent musicians, their demo showed song-writing savvy and engineering expertise as well.
The songs herein range from sounding a little like an intriguing combination of Tool and modern Deep Purple but the sound is nonetheless fresh and extremely entertaining. I really liked this demo and will listen to it often.
CRYSKNIFE: Tom Campitelli, guitar, vocals; Steve Campitelli, keyboards, drum programming, vocals.
For more information, check out http://www.crysknifeband.com/.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2004 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights reserved.
