This record is the last out of four new releases that I received from Empire Records lately and once more a good proof for the overall very impressing quality that the label offers with every band they’re putting out. While many underground labels often tend to come up with poor packaging, cheap production or lack of musical talent, Empire seems to be a good address for top quality in every aspect. That goes for Polish CRIONICS as well again. This blackened Death Metal four piece consists of a bunch of very skilled musicians that by no means could be seen as a cheap SLAYER blueprint (because of their band name’s choice), but a strong and very devastating unity that somehow continues on where late EMPEROR left off. Parallels to the sadly defunct Norwegians can easily be tracked down in a similar mix of violent Black / Death Metal with classical influences (just listen to some of the leads and the almost LIMBONIC ART type piano parts), while the vocals are in this harsh Black Metal / Mille Petrozza type of vein. But while Ihsahn’s way of composing had become more and more sophisticated and weird towards the end of EMPEROR (or in his other project PECCATUM) CRIONICS prefer to kill everything in sight in a more straight ahead manner. In a way you could name Samoth’s new musical outlet ZYKLON as another good comparison… CRIONICS are kinda like the missing link in-between those two acts (and yes, with a handful of hints of vintage SLAYER also) and their debut album "Human Error (Ways To Self-Destruction)" is musically already so incredibly matured sounding that these guys could without a doubt evolve into one of their country’s leading underground forces rather quickly. Promising! All further info at: www.crionics.prv.pl or www.empire-records.com.pl