UMUR
"Cryptic '89" is the second demo recording by Finnish thrash metal act Cryptic. The demo was independently released in 1989. It´s the successor to "Demo I/88" from 1988. Cryptic formed in 1986 and released only the two demos before disbanding in 1990. All material from the two demos was reissued on the "Revolving Circus" compilation album (July 2022, Old Skull Productions).
The demo features four tracks and a total playing time of 25:48 minutes. The 9:32 minutes long "Tommorow´s Gift" opens the demo with a long instrumental intro. It´s almost 4 minutes into the song before Cryptic change pace and starts playing some fast, aggressive, and raw thrash metal. The song changes back to a mid-paced riff heavy style though, and it´s overall a pretty dynamic composition. The remaining tracks are also in this style. Lead vocalist/guitarist Hannu Kujanen has a raw snarling delivery. It´s artists like Kreator, Sodom, and Celtic Frost that I´m reminded of.
The sound production is raw, a little murky, and unpolished. The savage sounding production values suit the material well, but a little more punch and clarity wouldn´t have hurt. Upon conclusion "Cryptic '89" is a decent quality sophomore demo from Cryptic, but it´s nothing out of the ordinary for the time or for the style. A 2.5 star (50%) rating is warranted.
