Band:	Cryptworm
Album:	Oozing Radioactive Vomition
Style:	Death metal
Release date:	December 2023

01. Oozing Radioactive Vomition
02. Organ Snatcher
03. Miasmatic Foetid Odour
04. Necrophagous
05. Engulfed By Gurgling
06. Submerged Into Vile Repugnance

Seek medical advice.

2022 may not be remembered as the year that Cryptworm's debut album Spewing Mephitic Purdity was released (I think something else happened that year, I'll have to check Wikipedia), but it certainly left its mark on those who gave it a spin. Rumbling out of your speakers once more, Cryptworm return in the waning days of 2023 to ooze out more of their lo-fi death metal in Oozing Radioactive Vomition.

Stripping their sound back to its raw and primal core, Cryptworm take an unorthodox approach on their sophomore album. Within seconds of pressing play, you will be taken aback by just how lo-fi Cryptworm's brand of death metal is, taking more from early black metal in terms of sound than death metal, with the likes of "Engulfed By Gurgling" only missing the static hiss that was omnipresent in early 90s black metal releases. It is certainly an odd choice to regress in terms of production quality with subsequent releases, but it's also one that adds character to proceedings.

Oozing Radioactive Vomition is an engaging and almost hypnotic album, possessing a charm that hooks itself under your skin and warrants repeated listens. "Necrophagous" has a downtuned and grimy appeal that will have you slowly banging your head along to the raw rhythms of Hanyi, who sounds like he is tearing his voice out with his constant gutturals. Wintle's powerful yet old school cymbal and snare sound adds to the sonic aesthetic of tracks like "Miasmatic Foetid Odour", with the band fully committing to the stripped down approach.

There are shortcomings to Cryptworm's approach on this album, the most prominent being that this is a piece of music best digested as a whole, rather than picked apart for single tracks. The lack of appeal for casual listening is tied to the absence of hooks or memorable passages, even after repeated listens. Hanyi's guitar work doesn't lend itself to moments that will replay in your mind hours after listening; the songs work best as combined pieces, rather than appreciating individual sections or instruments in isolation.

Oozing Radioactive Vomition is likely to be an album you either love or hate, with listeners equally likely to either embrace or reject the album. I can foresee it being one of the more polarising releases of the year, with it merely being a question of which side of the divide you fall into.