UMUR "The Crypts Of Sleep" is the 2nd full-length studio album by German death metal artist Hannes Grossmann. The album was independently released in September 2016. Hannes Grossmann is quite a prolific name in metal circles having contributed his drumming to recordings by acts like Blotted Science, Necrophagist and Obscura. On this album he handles the drums and rhythm guitars, while a host of guests contribute lead guitars, bass, keyboards and vocals. Among others Linus Klausenitzer and Christian Münzner (two of his former bandmates from the Obscura days), but also other prolific names like Danny Tunker (Prostitute Disfigurement, Aborted) and Erik Rutan (Ripping Corpse, Morbid Angel, Hate Eternal).

Stylistically the material on "The Crypts Of Sleep" pretty much continues the technical/progressive death metal style of "The Radial Covenant (2014)". The musicianship is top notch and everything is delivered with militant precision and great skill. It´s artists like Beyound Creation, Vale of Pnath, Obscura, and Augury, who come to mind, and it´s probably fans of that type of "polished" technnical/progressive death metal, who are the target group. Fast precision drumming, edgy death/thrashy riffs, intricate guitar themes and solos, and a snarling aggressive growling vocalist in front. Some tracks feature clean vocals too, and it works pretty well and adds some variation to the soundscape.

"The Crypts Of Sleep" features a professional, clear, and detailed sound production, which suits the material well. Personally I could have wished for a more raw and less clinical sounding production (especially the drums feature an artificial sound, which could have prospered from a more organic tone), but fans of the genre won´t be dissapointed and upon conclusion "The Crypts Of Sleep" is a high quality release by Hannes Grossmann. a 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is deserved.