Encryptor - Drowning in Flesh

The Christian death metal scene has really been lacking the last few years. With all the influx of black metal bands, death has taken a back seat. However, the underground is starting to stir. With bands like Encryptor, Tortured Conscience, and Sympathy among others, death metal is starting to rear it's head again and I couldn't be more happy.

Encryptor is a brutal death metal band comprised of just one very talented person, Phil Diez. Phil is from Panama, but now resides here in the U.S. He is the former drummer of the band Ministros del Santuario and as it shows on this album, the drumming is very good. The other instruments and vocals do not take a back seat though. Phil does a great job on guitars and his vocals are well done as well. The music here is very brutal from slow and plodding to insanely fast at times. The vocals are mainly a very deep growl ala Crimson Thorn style, although not as deep. But he also incorporates some high-pitched screaming as well to keep things interesting. One thing you must get past to really enjoy this album though is the production. Some songs are pretty good like "Infernal Catastrophy" and "Post Mortem Soul", but some songs like "Prophecy of Infinity" and "The Price of Submission" suffer pretty bad. The drums on "Prophecy.." sound like your listening to the boy next door pounding away on his drums but you're in your house with all the doors and windows shut. In other words, they are difficult to hear at times. On "The Price of Submission" the guitars sound sorta like a bumble bee choir. Later in the song the bees get "angrier" and sound maybe like a killer bee choir. However, the material here is really good. I myself have just tried to ignore the production flaws as much as possible cause the result is worth it. I'd LOVE to hear these tunes with a huge production budget cause they would really shred. The lyrics, while not printed in the CD booklet are available on Encryptor's website. They are VERY bold for Christ. "Prophecy of Infinity" is a praise song. Many of the songs read like some of the old death metal bands speaking of death and hell and disembowlment, etc... Stuff like old Crimson Thorn or Mortification. Good stuff though, cause I enjoy lyrics like that. Phil says that he really wants wants to minister to people through Christian death metal music and this is a good start. Best songs would have to be "Post Mortem Soul" and "Misforturned at Birth". These two are the most current material from Encryptor.

Overall, I really enjoy this album of 8 brutal death metal songs. Not the best I've heard, but very solid. If their next release has better production look for a lot of people to be talking about this band. (Review by Matt)

From Panama and the US both comes a death metal band named Encryptor. This is pretty good overall. Seems as if the guy here is mixing some old school with the new in the death metal genre. Lots of parts musically remind me of Incantation. I am a big Incantation fan so I guess it will show. At other times, the music sounds like something all the death metal bands in Los Angeles were doing back in 1992. The vocals are deep and sometimes layered with a scream over top to give more emphasis to the vocals. At certain times though, they seem a little off sync... but nothing that would turn you away. The drumming is solid and double bass is used well. The fills vary up the drumming which I really like. This is a strong release as far as song structure and the thought put into it. My only complaint is that the production lags. The drums sound like cardboard boxes in some songs which sorta turns me away. The production and sounds of this sound as though all the songs weren't recorded in one setting. For example, track 1 sounds ok. Track 2 sounds a lot better, track 3 sounds like it was recorded on a boom box! It just keeps varying throughout all 8 tracks on this album. I guess that would be something to be weary of. The guitars are thick and crunchy overall giving it that brutal effect! I love the guitar sound here. It doesn't sound like there is any bass guitar though. If there is, it's really buried. But maybe its due to bad production. The production isn't all bad in parts...I just think it could be louder. This is for death metal fans definitely. (Review by Biff Bartholemew)