Cripper – Hyena.

Hyena, the fourth studio album by Cripper is so overwhelming I gave up taking notes about halfway through listening to it as it is almost impossible to describe these eleven tracks of an almost perfect mix of thrash and death metal. The focal point of the band for me is the tour de force vocal performance from Britta “Elcha” Gortz as she barks and howls over the fifty minutes of music. Released via Metal Blade Records, Hyena is the most brutal album I’ve heard for quite some time proven by the crushing intro riff of the title track that opens it, backed by a reversed guitar loop as the seething rhythms are paired up with Britta’s first of many guttural roars.

‘Tourniquet’ is all raging mid paced thrash metal full of crunching, crushing riffs followed by the intense grinding heavy metal of  ‘Bloodshot Monkey Eye’ with a main riff that sounds a bit like ‘Twentieth Century Man’ by the Scorpions. ‘A Dime For The Establishment’ is a galloping Exodus style thrash assault. ‘7’ begins with a riff like ‘Milk’ by SOD as it surges into full pelt thrash metal. Track six, ‘Animated Flesh’ is like a chuggingly heavier ‘Beautiful People’ by Marilyn Manson and was the last one I took notes on before I just sat back and let the album flow over me but final track ‘Pure’ stood out the most of the final five as it’s seven minutes are full of brooding, doom laden riffs which shift into a proto thrash mid section but is totally dominated by Britta’s most caustic vocal of the album.

Hannover based Cripper have created a monster album! Buy it and be blown away!

Cripper band line up :-

Britta “Elcha” Gortz – Lead vocals.

Christian “Knitzel” Brohenhorst – Guitars, backing vocals.

Jonathan Stenger – Guitars.

Gerrit Mohrmann – Bass guitar.

Denis Weber – Drums.

Album track listing :-

Hyena.

Tourniquet.

Bloodshot Monkey Eye.

A Dime For The Establishment.

“7”.

Animated Flesh.

The Origin.

Patterns In The Sky.

The Jackhammer.

Patronized.

Pure.