PAISES BAJOS Y ALEMANIA: SU HISTÓRICA RIVALIDAD LLEVADA AL ÁMBITO DEL HEAVY METAL / DISTILLATOR Y CRYPTOSIS ENTRAN EN ESCENA PARA CONSOLIDAR EL THRASH METAL EN EL PANORAMA NEERLANDÉS
Noveno artículo para METAL HAMMER ESPAÑA. Esta vez el contenido es incluso más gigantesco!
Enlace a la revista, y la traducción al inglés un poco más abajo:
DISTILLATOR Y CRYPTOSIS / METAL HAMMER ESPAÑA
Gracias!
ENGLISH
Another writing for METAL HAMMER ESPAÑA, number nine this time. Beware, for the contents are huge!
Link to the magazine, and the english translation is below, as usual:
DISTILLATOR Y CRYPTOSIS / METAL HAMMER ESPAÑA
THE NETHERLANDS AND GERMANY: THEIR HISTORIC ANTAGONISM TAKEN TO THE FIELD OF HEAVY METAL / ENTER DISTILLATOR AND CRYPTOSIS, TO ESTABLISH THRASH METAL ON THE DUTCH METAL LANDSCAPE
The existing rivalry between two European powers like Germany and the Netherlands is well known by most. If we go back to the previous century, we can see how the Dutch had gone for neutrality in the First World War and, thanks to that, the Germans did not invade them. Consequently, the anti-Germanic sentiment which became common ground for many European countries after the war, was nowhere near as strong in the Netherlands, which even went as far as taking in the former German kaiser WILHEM II during his exile. That is why the German occupation of the country during the Second World War, after it once again declared itself neutral, was a complete shock. The Germans wanted to reach France and what they did was simply beginning, on the 10th of May 1940, an invasion of the Netherlands which they fulfilled in less than three weeks. They also considered this area as a suitable one to be annexed to the Greater Germanic Reich they dreamed about. That marked the beginning of a five year long occupation during which the spirit of what became known as Dutch Resistance was going to take hold of the society of this country, as much as did the remembrance of the oppression, the hunger and the extermination of a great deal of the Jewish population of the Netherlands during those years, something portrayed in the very famous book THE DIARY OF A YOUNG GIRL (HET ACHTERHUIS, 1947).
Three decades later, what has already been
mentioned was going to witness a boom around one of the most favourable fields to
breed a collective elation: football. One July evening, back in 1974, the
legendary Dutch Clockwork Orange lost to West Germany that
year’s World Cup final, in Munich. It is funny, because despite the conflict
being relatively recent back then (it is likely that most of those players who
took part in that football game were descendants of people who, one way or
another, lived said conflict first hand), it is said that among the Dutch
footballers there was no animosity. They were known to be a somewhat hippy and
carefree bunch, with little or no interest in politics. And, after all, they
had dominated European football for the previous five years (four European Champions
Clubs’ Cup in a row, thanks to FEYENOORD and AJAX), and that was
quite something. And even more so if the well-known Teutonic arrogance is to be
considered.
 |
| Gerd Muller crushes the dutch hopes |
This
scenario contrasts with the atmosphere surrounding the next chapter in this
rivalry. In June 1988, the Netherlands exacted revenge and took the Germans out
of the semifinals of a European Cup (hosted by West Germany, to add insult to
injury) that they ended up winning (on the very day MARCO VAN BASTEN scored
one of the most beautiful goals ever against the Soviet Union in the final
game), and the Dutch people took the streets to celebrate the victory in what
they considered the true final, carrying banners on which the motto Oma, we
hebben je fiets gevonden (Grandma, we have found your bike) could be read.
That sentence alluded to the massive bicycle (an object so very much linked to Dutch
society) theft conducted by the nazis during the occupation, to prevent Dutch
people from easily moving. I guess that was their own way of connecting with
the generation who actually lived the war and telling those people that justice
have been done somehow. The Germans, on the other hand, seemed to be surprised
by the hostility showed to them and by a rude gesture that RONALD KOEMAN, one of the key players within the oranje squad, had after the
game, involving a German shirt.
 |
| Marco Van Basten |
There was still another paramount episode
involving football in this story, and a very amazing one if the context and
everything that has already been said are to be considered. The last sixteen
round of 1990’s World Cup (what a tournament that one was!) not only saw MARADONA’s
Argentina ousting Brazil in unexpected fashion, to end up reaching the final,
but also, as if a game like that wasn’t enough for such an early round, the Dutch’s
weak performance during the round robin stage made them face Germany (first of
its group), once again, in another early clash of titans which became much more
than just a simple football game. Why? There was, of course, the already seen
sociological factor, taken to a sporting event of the highest order. Nothing we
didn’t know already about. But there was more than that. The tournament was
hosted by Italy, a country whose household calcio championship was, back in the
day, the envy of the rest of the European leagues, and in which the
Netherlands’ biggest stars (the aforementioned Van Basten, RUUD GULLIT and FRANK RIKJAARD) and as many as five of the most important
players within the German squad, had found their own place a few years back.
But that wasn’t all that there was for, leaving RUDI VÖLLER and THOMAS BERTHOLD (two members of the German team who played for AS ROMA back
then) aside, the other three Italians in the Mannschaft (LOTHAR MATTÄUS, JÜRGEN KLINSMANN and the late ANDREAS BREHME)
played in Milan, for the INTERNAZIONALE, while those Dutch stars did it
for the local rival, the almighty AC MILAN of those years. As if that
wasn’t enough, that game took place at the GIUSSEPE MEAZZA stadium (SAN SIRO), which was, and still is, home to both clubs. So, what we got was a
whole lotta Derby Della Madonnina, but in an international version. And
what a version. Germany won the game and, a few days later, they lifted the
trophy, but that match had it all: three goals, right, but also some spitting,
fighting and a couple of players sent off.
 |
| Klinsmann and Koeman |
According to the sociologists, the ill will
towards Germany shown by the Dutch youth of the early nineties skyrocketed to
WWII veteran marks. Fortunately, everything has calm down during recent times
and, despite their sporting rivalry still being a classic on its own right,
things are not as heated as they used to be anymore. In addition, the
relationship between both countries outside the sport real seems to be superb.
They are neighbours after all, and we all know that something like that
reinforces the rivalry, but the bond as well. Even in Mallorca, inside Palma’s
district where lots of young people (and not that young) from Germany are
headed in search of sun and partying, there is a smaller area in which Dutch
pubs stand out and, as far as I know, the coexistence is good. Otherwise, it would
not make any sense.
Why a prologue like this in an alleged
musical feature? Just the intention of contextualizing a hypothetical musical
competition between the two countries, as a result of their mutual history, and
presenting it from a different social standpoint. But has something like that
ever existed when it comes to metal music? Does it now? I don’t know, to be
honest, and that’s why I will focus only on what I see on the shelves at home,
hoping that it can reflect reality a little bit (and from afar). I’ve always
been aware of the many German bands I listen to, but it’s been a few years now
since I realized that something similar is happening with the Netherlands.
There’s no denying the role that the English
bands have played concerning heavy metal, both continental and worldwide,
mostly in its more traditional branch (no need to mention any bands); the same
goes for the Scandinavian countries. But leaving England, Sweden, Norway and
Finland aside, I don’t think there are more powerful countries than Germany and
the Netherlands in the whole continent when it comes to metal and extreme metal
music. And, as much as I believe that the former is ahead in this imaginary race
(the size of the country always matters), there’s no doubt regarding the latter
as a territory with bands which have been much more than a simple and
involuntary answer to Germany’s leadership for decades now. I know that sharing
a border sometimes leads to musicians of both countries playing in the same
band, which is something that no doubt happens very often everywhere, so I do
not think either of the two countries wishes to compete against each other. But
truth is, Dutch bands are many and particularly good.
I’m no scholar, but everyone knows there
are tons of German bands devoted, one way or another, to that hodgepodge that power
/ speed metal is. We all know which ones those bands usually are. Pretty much
the same can be said about the extremely popular Teutonic thrash landscape.
However, these two genres (mostly the first one), do not seem to be anywhere as
popular in the neighbouring country, which stands out due to its death metal
leanings and such famous and important bands as PESTILENCE, HAIL OF BULLETS,
GOREFEST, ASPHYX, GOD DETHRONED or LEGION OF THE DAMNED. And I can’t
help but mentioning here the hardly classifiable THE GATHERING, a band
which has nothing to do with any kind of extremity, but which was related to
said scenery in its beginnings. I have listened to a few of their older albums,
even one of those on which they went all trip rock, and they are just brilliant
at their craft.
So, I think there’s reason for debate,
because Dutch bands are in a position to contest the German ones. And the rest
of the world’s for that matter. Luckily enough, this is a contest unrelated to
sport or politics. And there seems to be room for everyone.
Enter DISTILLATOR and CRYPTOSIS,
the leading actors in this movie. They are two bands which fit the Dutch
extreme metal mold and could very well be an answer to the famed and supreme German
thrash, which, as I said before, does not seem to be as popular a subgenre in
the Netherlands. But the way both bands have evolved is so limitless and
obvious, that I guess we can talk about much more than just thrash metal. And
this is clear because those are not two bands which coexist, but just three
capable and ambitious musicians who, once they felt they had said all they
needed to say as Distillator, decided to become Cryptosis, so
they could continue with their evolving career,
But instead of writing about them through a
timeline, I’ll try to elaborate on how I got to know them.
 |
| Cryptosis |
It’s been a long time since I first
listened to Tampa’s VEKTOR. After the 2016 release of TERMINAL REDUX,
their third record, they were on their way to annihilate every single trace of
competition when it came to modern, witty thrash metal. And for a reason,
because they were so good they could not be overlooked and, after their first
two records, they were already the talk of the town. But due to reasons which
are not to be discussed here, they not only had their unstoppable advance
stopped on its tracks, but also their existence as a band as well. That’s why I
got nicely surprised when I knew they were back, already in 2020. And the
release of a couple of new songs through a split album called TRANSMISSIONS OF CHAOS (released on the 25th of February 2021, through an Austrian
label called DISTRICT 19 and with help from German giant CENTURY MEDIA) was more than welcome. Once I listened to those two tracks (kudos
to the formidable cover by Guatemalan artist MARIO LÓPEZ), the
next step was to find out about the band they were sharing the split with, for
some similarities between both bands were to be expected. And that’s how I
became familiar with Cryptosis, a band from Enschede, Netherlands, tagged
as progressive thrash metal.
 |
| Transmissions Of Chaos / 2021 |
Cryptosis
exist under that moniker since 2020, and they are formed by bassist (also in
charge of the keyboards) FRANK TE RIET, axeman and vocalist LAURENS HOUVAST, and MARCO PRIJ on drums. Two of their songs could be found
on Transmissions Of Chaos, and they both ended up on their debut album,
called BIONIC SWARM and released in 2021 (26th of March, through
Century Media). After a few random listens to some of the tracks,
I thought they were good enough to purchase the record. It was recorded at a
local studio, SEVERAL, and, if I’m not mistaken, it was produced by the
band itself, together with OLAF SKORENG, TONY LINDGREN and
FREDRIK FOLKARE. The cover, by famed Israel artist ELIRAN KANTOR, portrays quite well the dystopian and sci-fi themes dealt with on
the album, and the guys themselves use the booklet to warn the listener about
this album being a concept one, consisting in several stories set in 2049. Each
of them documents some kind of technological improvement from the point of view
of those who have to deal with them, be them human or not. All this gives the
record a genuinely nice BLACK MIRROR (the well-known British TV show)
vibe, but even more dystopian and futuristic.
 |
| Bionic Swarm / 2021 |
But the music on it is what I’m interested
the most in, anyway. An eerie intro (OVERTURE 2149) gives way to DECYPHER (one
of those two songs on Transmissions Of Chaos), which is a good summation
of things to come: furious and (for the most part) speedy thrash metal that
relies on some occasional keyboards which provide the album with a grandiloquent
atmosphere. I guess this is where the band gets the progressive tag from.
Pretty much the same with DEATH TECHNOLOGY, although this track feels a
little bit more carefree sometimes, something which contrasts the overall feel
of the album. Houvast makes clear that he’s a killer guitar player. Next
comes the other song on the split with Vektor, PROSPECT OF IMMORTALITY a long track on a mostly short record, in which Cryptosis leave
the speed aside for a while and Frank’s keyboards borrow some spotlight
from the guitar. More variety in a song which removes itself from most of
thrash conventions. TRASCENDENCE brings back the fury, being fast and brutal,
until you get some respite at the end.
A brief interlude (PERPETUAL MOTION) leads
to CONJURING THE EGOIST, which opens the album’s second and last stretch with
an amazing riff, courtesy of Houvast, and Prij’s tireless double
bass drumming. Keyboards join soon after. It might be my favourite song on the
record and the guitarist sounds truly menacing with his voice as well (Suffering!),
also boosted by Frank’s backing vocals. GAME OF SOULS is another conclusive
proof of an inspired Houvast’s bag of tricks, while MINDSCAPE is the
answer to Prospect Of Immortality during this final bit of the album. Cryptosis
at their most innovative and progressive. But fear not for, as expected, they
choose to bid farewell with another display of violent thrash in FLUX DIVERGENCE, although it doesn’t deliver that thrash fix from the get-go. It
just speeds up drastically after thirty seconds and Houvast’s scream
confirms what comes next.
Significant effort. I think they hit bullseye releasing an album which can deemed as a short one, for that is what works best in a genre like this. And even more so if this band goes for a more forward looking and elaborated approach within thrash. That’s no rule, of course, and we all know of several records which did extremely well despite featuring longer and more complex songs, and meaning, back in its day, a drastic departure from what the trend within the thrash landscape was, and from a specific band’s discography so far, something which would be far from being that shocking nowadays (HEATHEN or METALLICA, just to name a couple of examples). And given we are discussing what is done in the Netherlands, when compared to its neighbour country, an album like DECEPTION IGNORED (1989), by Germany’s DEATHROW, needs to be brought into discussion, for it had much longer and technically demanding songs than those found of the band’s previous albums. On the other hand, the guys in Cryptosis are really fond of a band like CORONER (Switzerland, I know, but that is close to Germany and the Netherlands) and, in this regard, records like PUNISHMENT FOR DECADENCE and NO MORE COLOR, from 1988 and 1989 respectively, stand out because of their showing of an almost unequalled band playing a different brand of thrash, but doing so through short stuff. And this is why I also think that Cryptosis are spot on for not giving in to creating a much more ambitious and complex first album which could shock the listener more than necessary, because this band’s music is already an acquired taste. All this needs further explaining, so more on it later.
 |
| Laurens Houvast (left), together with David Di Santo, from Vektor |
They were quite busy being on tour and, already
in 2023 (1st of December), they released an Ep called THE SILENT CALL (I
do not have any info concerning the artwork, but it looks like they worked with
Skoreng and Folkare again, and it has been distributed by Century
Media as well), which includes the title track, an unreleased one called MASTER OF LIFE, and two live tracks recorded in Athens (Greece seems to
welcome them very warmly): Prospect Of Immortality and Trascendence. Master Of Life is particularly good and it remains halfway between the
fastest tracks on Bionic Swarm and the band’s more innovative leanings.
There’s something towards the end which even reminds me of the mighty VOIVOD. Apparently, this song was recorded during the sessions for Bionic Swarm,
and that’s why I guess it was taped at the same studios as that album. Ditto
for THE SILENT CALL itself, about which I won’t say anything, because a later,
and a tad different, version appears on Cryptosis second album, CELESTIAL DEATH, released in 2025 (although as many as three different singles have
seen the light of day, since the end of 2024), on the 7th of March,
through Century Media once again, and with another front cover by
Eliran Kantor. The trio has repeated with their usual team when it comes
to working inside the studio, this time at TOM MEIER (Enschede) and STUDIO MOON MUSIC (Falun, Sweden). As with Bionic Swarm and Transmissions
Of Chaos, the mixing and mastering took place at CHROME STUDIOS (Stockholm)
and FASCINATION STREET STUDIOS (Örebro, Sweden), respectively.
 |
| The Silent Call / 2023 |
I don’t remember if I listened to any of
the singles before I bought the record, for I don’t usually listen to music if
it’s not playing the actual record or with an Ipod. Only to find out if
something is worthy of being given a chance. It did not matter, because the
first record was good enough for me to get the second. But what I did do was reading
a few reviews, and none of them were disappointing. Not even close. That
confirmed my certainty.
 |
| Celestial Death / 2025 |
Celestial Death doesn’t seem to focus on a specific concept, as did Bionic Swarm,
but Cryptosis keep the dystopian, technological, and sci-fi stuff in
their lyrics. More of the same in that regard this time around. A very
cinematic intro called PROLOGUE (THE AWAKENING) begins the hostilities. It
leads to FACELESS MATTER, a song that can be immediately related to this band
if you are already familiar with what was listened to on Bionic Swarm (intense
drumming, raw vocals and a certain degree of atmosphere added by the synths),
but which also shows the band making a quantum leap regarding its epic approach
(with an emphasis on that cinematic aspect). The keyboards are more prominent,
and I guess that’s why Houvast riffing looks more discreet. Frank
himself would confirm this (some explanation below) when he answered to my own
remark about this record being more complicated and difficult to listen to than
the previous one. He told me it was funny that I thought that, for everything
concerning the drums and the guitars was simpler on Celestial Death (there
is a lot less going on, on guitar and drums, on this album, according to his
own words) than on the first album, and only the orchestral bits and the synths
were more elaborated.
STATIC HORIZON follows the same path,
although is more straightforward and allows Houvast to regain the
spotlight. The melody during the refrain is pure gold, and some sinister voices
can be heard during the instrumental section of the second and more orchestral
half of the track. Next comes the newer version of The Silent Call, one of
the album’s highlights. Frank told me the vocals they did for this version
are better than those on the namesake Ep, and that the orchestration has taken
a step back in this new mix. I just love how epic the beginning is, together
with Prij’s blast beats, but not as much as when the band speeds up
behind the wild riff which begins around the minute and a half mark. Like in
the previous track, the second half of the song makes you feel like you’re
inside a movie. The shocking main melody in ASCENDING would not be out of
place on a melodic death metal record, and this song introduces a more relaxed
section which allows Frank’s bass guitar to shine.
 |
| From left to right, Houvast, Prij and Te Riet |
As Bionic Swarm did, this record
provides the listener with a little time to take some breath, halfway through
the album, with MOTIONLESS BALANCE, another short, instrumental song, with a
soundtrack flair to it. REIGN OF INFINITE is the longest track and it also
features some backing vocals which contribute so much to the epic atmosphere
this band fills its albums with. All this, well balanced with the usual
aggression. ABSENT PRESENCE boasts more than a beautiful name. For example, that
beginning with clean guitars alike to those that can be found on records by Vektor
or even Voivod. The feelings of isolation and desperation that, in equal
amount, this song conveys, are very well accomplished.
IN BETWEEN REALITIES turns out to be more
menacing and faster, due to the speed / thrash bursts of the verses, which
contrast with the amazing bridge prior to the refrain. There is also some
soloing by Houvast. The speedy and violent CRYPTOSPHERE is in the same vein,
with more blast beats and great double bass drumming, courtesy of Prij. Unlike
the first record, Cryptosis choose to say goodbye with another
instrumental track which sounds like a farewell and that closes the circle
begun with Prologue in a symmetric fashion. It is called CODA (WANDER INTO THE LIGHT), and it even reminds me of the most melodic bits in the conceptual
triad that their countrymen God Dethroned penned about the First
World War. Spectacular.
As I told Frank, I must admit that Celestial
Death hasn’t been exactly easy listening to me, and I remember thinking
that, given my usual taste, was a tad disappointing to notice how Houvast’s
axe had taken a step back in favour of the more prominent synths. But for me it
was just a matter of time and some extra spins, although I think that some of
my earlier remarks may be true. After giving Celestial Death some more chances
and keeping in mind how brilliant Bionic Swarm is, I find it at least as
good as the latter. It is difficult to listen to, of course, but a grower as
well. Not to mention the musicians’ technical chops. And they are only three
people! Once again, we stand before an album which doesn’t average four minutes
per song, and that means that Cryptosis have once again been capable of summarizing
something as powerful and intricate as their music is, in a package which does
not defy the listener’s patience.
 |
| Threat in black |
This is all that there is concerning Cryptosis,
a band that is becoming big fast. Given these guys’ capability of thinking
creatively, I’m simply curious to find out what’s next. And I’d love to attend
one of their shows, that goes without saying. I wonder how Frank manages
to play bass and handle everything about the synths and the orchestration at
the same time.
 |
| Not so long ago... |
And this writing would be over already, wasn’t
it for another prompt intervention of my buddy DANI GALLAR (already
mentioned when I reviewed REJECTED SOULS OF KERBERUS, by Sweden’s TOXAEMIA).
He was the one who, just a few weeks ago, talked to me about Distillator,
the band that there was before Cryptosis. It caught me off guard, because I
remembered having read something about a band which existed before Cryptosis,
but I had forgotten about it somehow. It all happened when Cryptosis played
Vienna (where Dani lives), opening for England’s thrash legends ONSLAUGHT, the
last sixth of June. He went to see the show and, as he usually does, sent me a
picture of him with the whole band. I do not think he does it to trigger my
jealousy, but he succeeds in making me jealous anyway. I guess that, on the
occasion of the show, he gave the Distillator albums a few spins, and
that’s why he sent me a picture of one of them. He told me they played old
school thrash metal, with less polished and intricate songs than those written
for Cryptosis. And I for one, as a devout follower of this beloved
subgenre, and (to continue with the connection between both countries) of bands
like SODOM, KREATOR or TANKARD in particular, thought that
something of the sort had to be good no matter what. He also told me he had
been talking to the guys in the band, and that bassist and keyboardist, Frank,
had explained to him that they had changed their name because when it was time
to write songs for Distillator’s third album, those felt so different
that it did not make any sense to carry on with the same moniker. They did not
want to disappoint any fans, were they to record and play different music, but,
at the same time, they wanted to follow their own path and show the world their
fresh style. This also needs some later explaining. What I did then was going
back to square one, to do what I had already done with Cryptosis: to
check out this previous outfit, via YouTube, to find out whether it was worthy
or not. To no one’s surprise, it was.
The next step was trying to contact Frank,
who I am lucky to share Facebook friendship with, no matter how childish may
sound to talk in those terms about someone you’ve never met in person and, most
likely, you never will. But we all know how these things work and, if we are to
unveil the advantages of such dunghills like social media usually are, this is
one of them. I just wanted to find out if there was a way to purchase the Distillator
albums, for I don’t think I could have found them on my own.
 |
| Frank |
Said and done. Frank answered
swiftly and, a few days later, and for a more than reasonable price, I had my
own copy of each album at home. And much more than that, because Frank
not only did send the records to me, but he also included some extra stuff,
among which there was a copy of an Ep he had recorded while in a previous band he had founded called PROFLIGATE (he played the guitar in that one, and Laurens Houvast, his current bandmate, joined afterwards as the other guitar player). That band played
thrash / death and this effort dates from 2013, the year in which Distillator
got together. But the most important thing about all this is that Frank
has turned out to be a kind and close guy, who not only had those thoughtful
details with someone he doesn’t know. He went the extra mile as well, for he
sent me a Spotify list comprised of Dutch bands he likes (after I told him
what’s been mentioned about the Netherlands and extreme metal), told me about
his influences when is time to write music (those include KLAUS SCHULZE’s
electronic experiments), attached an interview with Houvast on the
occasion of Cryptosis visiting Greece (to help me with my research and
shed some light on the reasons behind the change of name), and has even offered
himself to have a videocall chat with me, just in case I needed something else.
Not to mention his enthusiastic approval of this writing and the fact it has
that Netherlands versus Germany angle (that is something I rushed myself to ask
him in advance, for I did not know if that was a sensitive matter for Dutch
people). As it has been noticed before, when it was the turn to review the Celestial
Death songs, he has also told me about his thoughts on some remarks I made
regarding Cryptosis’ music. What an ace. I’m sure he’s got tons of
better things to do with his (probably scarce) leisure time than assisting me,
so there won’t be any videocalls I will bother him with, but I did ask him
about the change from one band to another. He told me the same that Dani
(whom he remembered vividly) had, and he emphasized on the not disappointing
anybody thing.
It’s funny, for I’ve thought about that
issue a few times myself. How many disappointments and endless debates (more
suitable for younger stages, that’s true) could have been avoided for musicians
and fans alike, had certain bands done what these guys have? The way I see it,
one just has to do with their craft what they think is best for them to express
themselves through it, at any given moment. That’s the most important thing, to
be true to oneself. But at the same time, at least when it comes to music, people
who follow you are important too, right? Somehow, they are the ones who made
possible that you are where you are, and they expect to keep enjoying what they
get in return. Nobody says an artist can’t evolve and all that, but I’ve always
thought that, if the changes you are about to implement in your music are too
drastic, what you can do is, perhaps, leaving what you’ve been doing so far on
the backburner, and do what you please at that very moment, but under a
different name. In doing so, those who’ve been following you will know what to
expect and, if they don’t like the new thing, they will always be able to go
back to what they always loved, which is right there, intact. And if you, as an
artist, want to restart again what you had been doing, and in the same way you
did it in the past, you know you always can. That’s a win-win situation for me.
 |
| Laurens |
Do not get me wrong anyway. I don’t mean to
speak as if my words were some kind of ultimate solution to all artistic
curiosity and will to change, while pleasing everyone at the same time. In the
end, there are also reasons to think that I’m completely wrong, for bands that
I love, like Voivod or ENSLAVED, have turned their respective
evolutions into their own banner. It’s also true that these two bands, for
example, have never gone astray completely from their own path and never
changed that much from one album to another. Their evolution feels like a
natural thing which can be noticed looking at the big picture in hindsight. But
what about, you might ask, some other bands that have completely transformed
themselves into something different and never looked back? Well, you got me.
The above mentioned, also Dutch, The Gathering, have to be one of the
best examples of a band which has nothing in common anymore with what they were
when they began, without changing their name and with a degree of acceptance by
fans old and new alike. What happened here? I have no idea. Maybe they got
lucky, maybe they are so good that they managed to strike a chord with all
kinds of audiences, or maybe both. Who knows?
My point is that I cannot help but finding
remarkable that the guys in Cryptosis think the way they do, because I’d
be surprised if I knew there are Distillator fans out there who feel
disappointed by all this. They may be more appealed to what came before, of
course, but I don’t think the music Cryptosis play is a complete
departure from Distillator’s. You could hardly be annoyed after finding
out that what was supposed to be Distillator’s third album has become Bionic
Swarm. I still consider this thrash metal. More elaborated and innovative,
no doubt, but thrash metal through and through. Neither have they turned into DREAM THEATER, nor have they gone from BLACK ALBUM to LOAD or RELOAD,
or something similar. In fact, you can find traces of some other extreme subgenres
on Celestial Death, and in this regard, I’ve read the words black
metal mentioned several times. Frank himself also told me about his
liking for bands like EMPEROR or DISSECTION. On the other hand, Houvast’s
singing is way more aggressive now, in Cryptosis, and the fact that some
tracks feature blast beats is good indication of these three musicians not
slowing down a single bit, despite going for more intricate songs.
And this is what I meant before when I said
some explanations were needed: they thought that what they were writing was
different from what they had been doing so far in Distillator, and
that’s why they changed their name. But I don’t even think it was necessary. If
they are more comfortable like this, be my guest. Good for them. But given what
I’ve read, there’s no disappointment among the fans whatsoever. Quite the
contrary, because some surprise can be perceived after noticing that the
current music is different, but nothing compared to what people were expecting
with a change of name. Cryptosis’ albums are busy enough to draw new
fans, but never to lose Distillator’s. But this is just my own opinion.
 |
| Marco |
And what about Coroner and the similarities between both bands? Both of them are what is usually known as a power trio and, as I said before, Frank, Laurens and Marco really do look up to the veteran Swiss combo. Cryptosis play a more avant-garde brand of thrash now than what they did as Distillator, but without overwhelming the listener with overtly long and extremely progressive songs. I think this makes them play, more or less, in the same league Coroner did with their already mentioned second and third albums. Concerning Germany’s Deathrow, the transition the three Dutch musicians have gone through reminds me a little bit of (save for some differences) what the band from Düsseldorf did during the late eighties, when they went from releasing two albums (the debut, RIDERS OF DOOM, from 1986, and the sophomore one, RAGING STEEL, the next year) which featured the kind of generic and little polished Teutonic thrash which was the order of the day back then, to stun the metal world (to a certain extent, of course, for they never were exactly MEGADETH or any of those multiselling thrash celebrities) with the aforementioned Deception Ignored. In any case, Deathrow chose to pen longer and more complex songs. They did not change their name, but the twist in their musical direction maybe was even more pronounced than that of Houvast and company and, if you ask me, they got better because of it.
As mentioned, Distillator were born
in 2013 (founded by both Frank te Riet and Laurens Houvast), and they already recorded an EP during that same year. They produced
it themselves, helped by FREDDE KADDETH (owner of DIRTY BIRD STUDIOS,
where the mixing took place, after the Ep was recorded at SOUND WAVE FACTORY).
Frank told me that Ep is actually a demo. One of its songs, BLOODY ASSAULT, would later make it onto the band’s debut album, called REVOLUTIONARY CELLS (2015). The other two, WARMONGER and DISTILLATOR, befell different a fate: the former did not go
beyond the demo stage, and the latter can be found on Revolutionary Cells, as well as Bloody Assault, but with different lyrics and under the name DEATH STRIP. Back in 2015, Houvast and Frank still played with
another drummer, KAREL BONKE, and the three of them used a stage name
(in my opinion, is a good thing that they left that idea behind). But the thing
is that Bonke actually played drums on the first album and, according to
Frank, chose to focus on his career as a soundtrack composer soon after.
Enters Marco Prij, who is credited as the drummer on said album,
despite not having played on it.
 |
| Revolutionary Cells / 2015 |
Revolutionary Cells hit the shelves on the 10th of February 2015, through the Belgian
label EMPIRE RECORDS, but I’m not sure who oversaw the production. I
guess it was the guys themselves, with the assistance of one guy called DENNIS KOEHNE, when it came to mixing and so on. It was recorded at the Dutch
studios DISTILLATOR and MILKMARK, both of them located around
their own area of Twente, east of the country (and bordering with Germany, by
the way) and, both the artwork (by Byelorussian artist ANDREI BOUZIKOV)
and the band’s logo, are very much in line with the guys previous style (old
school thrash metal) than what they are doing now. Same for the lyrics, prone
to deal with politics, violence, etc. The songs are mostly short though.
Right from the beginning, with GUERRILLA INSURGENCY, the listener gets the whole picture of what this is all about: you
get simpler and more straightforward riffing, more guitar solos by Houvast
(when compared to Cryptosis), a bass guitar which plays second fiddle to
the guitar itself, and some relentless and energetic drumming (as one could
expect from a thrash record). The vocals are different too, for Houvast goes
for a more natural singing (quite thuggish too), but also choosing to hit some
higher notes very often, when pronouncing certain words, and that reminds me of
DAVID DI SANTO, from Vektor, or even SCHMIER,
from the German thrash band DESTRUCTION. SATURATION BOMBING is a
personal favourite, with a brutal rollercoaster of an instrumental beginning
which gains intensity. It features some cool blues / rock licks throughout the
track as well. Frank’s bass has its own isolated moment to shine in SHIVER IN FEAR, although overall this is just another furious and short thrash
display commanded by Houvast.
DISTINCT OR EXTINCT is a longer affair,
thanks to which the band gets the chance to broaden its palette, trying some
different tempos and going for details that inject the track a different flair.
The listener can regain their breath as well. The title track brings back the
untamed velocity and the main riff is quite convincing, despite its plain
simplicity. The same happens with Bloody Assault, another chance for the band
to terrorize your neighbours via a healthy dose of musical violence of little
more than three minutes SUICIDAL deals with a really grave subject,
introduced by a few seconds of roaring battle. This is about a severe
post-traumatic stress with war as the background. The music? Just Distillator
being themselves, although there’s also room for a more restrained section which
comes before a great guitar solo.
And here it comes Germany, once again, for
the awesome Death Strip (Distillator, on the aforementioned demo) is about the Cold War, the construction of the Berlin
Wall, and the fate of those who dared to jump over it to flee the so-called
democracy of the eastern side. Brutal thrash is what we get here, well balanced
with some slower, but also brilliant, instrumental sections. The album is
closed by SACRED INDOCTRINATION and, given these guys’ usual symmetric way to
organize their records, I was expecting something longer and with some more variety,
perhaps just like they did in Distinct Or Extinct. No way. This one is just a
tad longer, and that’s it. It’s a good thing they chose to finish with another
violent song. In the end, this is what this music is mostly about.
 |
| The future is theirs |
That’s it. Little more than thirty minutes
is more than enough to deliver a thrash album which, no matter how much more of
the same old song and dance may seem to feature, stands out for giving the
listener exactly what’s expected. I guess no one listens to certain bands in
search of something they know they will never find in them. Distillator might
be pigeonholed as such, but that is just a compliment. Those looking for
something different may resort to, precisely, a band like Cryptosis. So,
I guess we can say that Marco, Frank and Laurens have done
their homework pretty well in this regard, and then some.
Two years later, already in 2017 (the first
of May), Distillator returned with their second effort, SUMMONING THE MALICIOUS, and everything that’s been said for Revolutionary Cells,
concerning both the artistic and the technical fields, applies here as well:
same label, engineer and illustrator. The only difference is that there was no
need to go to MilkMark this time around, and everything was done at Distillator
studios (no clue about whether name of the studios influenced the name of the
band or if it all happened by chance). The front cover and the music itself show
that not much has changed since the earlier record, although there is some more
complexity and variety in the new set of songs. And, as much as the artwork and
some lyrics keep digging deep in the same subjects found on the first album,
the title of some tracks hint at the fact that Distillator were already
willing to explore dystopian and technological themes.
 |
| Summoning The Malicious / 2017 |
BLINDED BY CHAUVINISM is the first track,
and I have to admit it gets tough to review a song like this without repeating what
I said about the first record. I don’t want it to sound like criticism, for I
explained myself a few lines above, but it’s just more of the same: fast and unchanging.
Unlike MECHANIZED EXISTENCE, where there is more to be found, given than only
in the first minute there is already a more melodic beginning, which leads to
the main riff that can be also listened to during the verses, and a burst of
something that has more to do with death metal. I love the bridge prior to the
refrain (Technology, streaming knowledge) and the refrain itself (Supervised,
organized, mechanized!). It all goes back to square one while Houvast plays
his solo, and there’s even one for Frank on bass, before the song fades
in an unexpected mellow fashion. ESTATES OF THE REALM puts the speed aside
again in the beginning (where the drums have a more prominent role), but
despite of it being the shortest song, and thus teasing you into the
perspective of an ultrafast progress, everything stays as it began, tempo-wise.
The guitar solo section shows another stellar display of footwork by Prij.
You can’t deny the fact that the three musicians are trying something a little
bit different, and even more so if we keep in mind what the first song is like.
SUMMONING THE MALICIOUS sounds mysterious,
with that section of which Prij and Frank take control, right
before the guitar joins with a cool line that adds to the mystery. When it all
speeds up, the song turns into something menacing, with some open chords
alternating with Houvast’s previous guitar line. Incredibly good. ENTER THE VOID has a nice riff, one of those which seem to go around themselves, but
the outcome sounds more like traditional heavy metal. In fact, LOSFER WORDS (BIG 'ORRA), an old instrumental song by IRON MAIDEN, taken from POWERSLAVE
(1984), came to mind thanks to that riff. And I am far from being the most
trustworthy individual when it comes to talk about the technical side of things,
but I just have the feeling that Frank’s bass has more depth, or maybe it's just louder in the mix, on the Distillator albums than on Cryptosis, and
that’s something which is again noticeable in ALGORITHMIC CITIZENSHIP. I like
how they get faster halfway through the song before it all goes back to the
beginning to start again.
 |
| Frank and Laurens on stage |
STATURE OF LIBERTY has another fine
display of bass playing by Frank, and it sounds more punkish from time
to time. If we consider the time when the album was released, and that the
song’s title is a play on words which refers to The Statue Of Liberty, I
wouldn’t be surprised if I was told that this track is aimed to DONALD TRUMP.
Follows THE KING OF KINGS, the longest track this band has ever recorded, and
the one which makes perfectly clear that Distillator are out for
something different, being the most akin to some ideas that would soon be
noticed in Cryptosis. It has its moments, mostly in the beginning, but
my main issue with this track is that I’m expecting it to speed up and give way
to this band’s usual belligerence, but that doesn’t happen, and the whole thing
feels incomplete. The lyrics are about USA’s role in the Iranian coup of 1953,
which reveals Distillator’s interest in history and politics. Closing track, MEGALOMANIA, makes me think that I’m listening to RUNNING WILD (Germany
and its large shadow, one more time) and, even if the song gets heavier, the
refrain brings back that idea.
I’m not sure which album of the two I enjoy
the most, although I’d be lying if I didn’t admit a soft spot for the first
one. But, at the same time, I am certain that, out of the nine songs on Summoning
The Malicious, leaving The King Of Kings aside, the one that I find the
least likeable is the first one, Blinded By Chauvinism, which happens to be
the most similar track to those on Revolutionary Cells. I guess this
goes to show that the steps taken by the band in another direction were
convincing.
2018 was going to witness Distillator
reaching the end of the road (without being aware of it yet) the same way Cryptosis
would start its own: with a split Ep. This time with the German (Berlin) band SPACE CHASER. They are another thrash band with similar leanings to those of Cryptosis,
so I guess I will have to give them a try, for who knows what could happen. As
for sharing the album with a German band, I suppose that comes from the fact
that they both share some friendship, or there’s just a musical bond between
them. A label thing, maybe, I don’t know. For this last time, Distillator
started to work with the aforementioned Olaf Skoreng, at several
different studios of the band’s area. The artwork was drawn by Mario López,
who took part in the beginning of the three guys new adventure with the front
cover of Transmissions Of Chaos, as it has already been told.
 |
| Split With Space Chaser / 2018 |
By taking a closer look to how the front cover looks like, and the names of the new songs, I feel less striking that Distillator ended up writing stuff which would make them think about an eventual change of name. And also, this Ep shows the guys expanding the instrumentation, with the mellotron making its big entrance, although courtesy of Houvast. They also open with the usual instrumental intro, which has been common denominator on the Cryptosis records so far. OVERTURE (sounds familiar) is its name, but it has nothing to do with Cryptosis’ cinematic intros, given that what is to be found here is some guitar shredding, over a martial background, which swiftly leads to PERCEIVING PRESENCE, a very straightforward, fast and aggressive belter with some very cool bass lines. More of the same in SWARM INTELLIGENCE, started by a very brief drum solo by Prij. This one is barbaric, and it features some details that even remind me of Vektor at their most frantic. The last self-penned tune here is called GATES OF AUTONOMY, which is a long track if we keep the band’s usual standards in mind. The beginning may give you the feeling that they are slowing down, a little and the song has more variety, but the truth is that Distillator seem to still be bent on their own sonic annihilation crusade. And they save BLACK MAGIC for last, a cover of the early SLAYER classic (SHOW NO MERCY, 1983). Distillator do a decent job at playing it quite faithfully, although a little bit more rushed and without the charm of the original song, which, by the way, belongs to one of the most beloved debuts in all thrash history.
Distillator were on fire on this Ep, but they
wouldn’t make it much further. They realized that writing and playing old
school thrash had grown too little for them. And the rest is history. They
founded Cryptosis and its futuristic multi-metal eruption
(according to Houvast himself) from the ashes of Distillator, and
they were also signed by Century Media, about which I have
already talked.
Frank has
told me that another Distillator album, with some demos and live
takes, might be on the cards. Who knows?
 |
| Laurens Houvast. Thinking about what's next? |
I’ve had the best of times writing this piece, as usual, and if it turns out to be useful for someone else to become a fan of these two bands, just like I did, that will be enough reward. And it’s also a good thing to realize that I’m not sure about which of the two bands I like the most. Distillator are more akin to the bands I listen to more often, that’s crystal clear (too many ornaments are not my thing), but the atmosphere, the subjects to be dealt with, and some melodies that the guys have managed to capture on the Cryptosis albums, are something special which is nowhere to be found on Distillator’s. It all feels as if the second band was capable of keeping some traits of the first one, while there are none of the novelties implemented by Cryptosis in the music of Distillator. Perhaps some lyrics in some of their latest songs, but nothing else.
I will stick with both, and with the fact
that the transition from one to the other is a fine example of evolution done
proper.
Thanks to Dani, for the umpteenth
time, for somehow preventing me from overlooking Distillator. And,
needless to say, thanks a million to Frank. I’ve already talked about
all the things he’s done for me, and which his reaction was when he knew I was
going to write something about both bands. But there’s something else I’ve
chosen to save for last, given how impressed I got by it. And I’ll elaborate
further. No matter how many years go by, I still get excited when I know
there’s new amazing music to be released, be it by those old guard bands I love,
or by some newer ones, and I always get nervous when I get the chance to talk
to some musician I admire. Let alone having my picture taken with them. That’s
why I thanked Frank for giving me the chance to talk to him, and for
being (all three of them) so humble and down to earth in that regard, to which
he simply answered: we’re metal fans, just like you.
See you soon, and thanks for reading!
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