Review by Alex on January 26, 2020.

Ever wondered if you merged Candlemass with a bit of Danzig and gothic punk rock vocals what it would sound like?, here's your answer. Italian doom metal band Suum excavates a mass of bones on their 2nd full length record, Cryptomass. Wails ever catacombic anoint the 9 mysteries on this monolith of a record. Where do I even fucking begin with this album, holy cunt is this some sweaty doom metal, I don't know where this band has been but it’s a damn good thing they're still active. Set for a Valentine's Day release, Cryptomass is a love letter written in blood and a bouquet of rotten roses sent to all things doom metal.

Upon descending into the ossuary, I found with pleasure 'Cryptomass' carries all the hallmarks of what a traditional doom metal song should sound like. Both heavyyyy! and eerie guitar power chords, slow booming drums, epic vocals that cape the loud instrumentation and above all, that mysterious sensation we look for when this sweet music plays. Without a doubt, this was the song that hooked and reeled me in, specifically the monstrous opening riff and the exclamatory fashion in which Mark Wolf delivered those caressing and catchy as hell vocals; simply could not ignore it. 'The Silence of Agony' is one haunting as fuck piece; the promotional video shot for it is on target, it absolutely fits the crawling yet pummeling pulse of the combined instruments. This is one of inscrutable beauty and nightmarish mysticism, Wolf's mix of Glen Danzig like vocal signals with that Italian accent is a symbol of refinement on this song and record.

Best track on Cryptomass goes to 'Creatures of the Vault'; my nomination for best performance had already been set as the vocalist Mark Wolf due to his howling throat, but that would soon change. The stage is lit a fire by the scorching guitar solo, a sonic explosion laid down by guitarist Antonio (Painkiller); you want to talk about squeezing invisible oranges, then prepare to guzzle a truck load of organic orange juice. I don't think your ears are ready for an intake of that much audial pleasure, try not to overdose from the stringed sorcery you're about to experience. It's the second-best solo I've heard off a record scheduled to come out in 2020, the best one goes to Worm on their song 'Apparitions of Gloom'. Thus said, I am disappointed Antonio was not given more freedom to on the album to lay down some more of those swaying solos. It's a fault I often find in doom metal generally, but one here it's more fretful this lack of guitar solos and it ticks me off because the songs are setup for such, and the production is even more supportive of it. You'll hear more on 'Burial at Night' and 'Claws of Evil'; other songs have but aren't done in the committed way as was presented on 'Creatures of the Vault' which is a disappointment. Guess you could say I'm a traditional metal head, remember those albums that had a solo on every song, it’s the soul, the identity of the music.

Joe Grave and Fed Kemper are bystanders in all this but take nothing away from their performances they execute their duties to complimenting effect. The bass is audible and follows the leads well, same goes for the drumming, its loud carries a sense of confidence and keeps a consistent pacing. However, I think they had the privilege of watching two classy musicians battle it out on the big stage that not only made their task easier but more enjoyable.

The spear of doom is aimed at 2020, the stench of old grounds arises.

Spectral Miasmas Unearthed

• Cryptomass
• The Silence of Agony
• Creatures from the Vault

Violent Willo-wisp Transformation

• Funeral Circle
• Burial at Night
• Reaper Look in Your Eyes

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Alex on January 26, 2020.

Ever wondered if you merged Candlemass with a bit of Danzig and gothic punk rock vocals what it would sound like?, here's your answer. Italian doom metal band Suum excavates a mass of bones on their 2nd full length record, Cryptomass. Wails ever catacombic anoint the 9 mysteries on this monolith of a record. Where do I even fucking begin with this album, holy cunt is this some sweaty doom metal, I don't know where this band has been but it’s a damn good thing they're still active. Set for a Valentine's Day release, Cryptomass is a love letter written in blood and a bouquet of rotten roses sent to all things doom metal.

Upon descending into the ossuary, I found with pleasure 'Cryptomass' carries all the hallmarks of what a traditional doom metal song should sound like. Both heavyyyy! and eerie guitar power chords, slow booming drums, epic vocals that cape the loud instrumentation and above all, that mysterious sensation we look for when this sweet music plays. Without a doubt, this was the song that hooked and reeled me in, specifically the monstrous opening riff and the exclamatory fashion in which Mark Wolf delivered those caressing and catchy as hell vocals; simply could not ignore it. 'The Silence of Agony' is one haunting as fuck piece; the promotional video shot for it is on target, it absolutely fits the crawling yet pummeling pulse of the combined instruments. This is one of inscrutable beauty and nightmarish mysticism, Wolf's mix of Glen Danzig like vocal signals with that Italian accent is a symbol of refinement on this song and record.

Best track on Cryptomass goes to 'Creatures of the Vault'; my nomination for best performance had already been set as the vocalist Mark Wolf due to his howling throat, but that would soon change. The stage is lit a fire by the scorching guitar solo, a sonic explosion laid down by guitarist Antonio (Painkiller); you want to talk about squeezing invisible oranges, then prepare to guzzle a truck load of organic orange juice. I don't think your ears are ready for an intake of that much audial pleasure, try not to overdose from the stringed sorcery you're about to experience. It's the second-best solo I've heard off a record scheduled to come out in 2020, the best one goes to Worm on their song 'Apparitions of Gloom'. Thus said, I am disappointed Antonio was not given more freedom to on the album to lay down some more of those swaying solos. It's a fault I often find in doom metal generally, but one here it's more fretful this lack of guitar solos and it ticks me off because the songs are setup for such, and the production is even more supportive of it. You'll hear more on 'Burial at Night' and 'Claws of Evil'; other songs have but aren't done in the committed way as was presented on 'Creatures of the Vault' which is a disappointment. Guess you could say I'm a traditional metal head, remember those albums that had a solo on every song, it’s the soul, the identity of the music.

Joe Grave and Fed Kemper are bystanders in all this but take nothing away from their performances they execute their duties to complimenting effect. The bass is audible and follows the leads well, same goes for the drumming, its loud carries a sense of confidence and keeps a consistent pacing. However, I think they had the privilege of watching two classy musicians battle it out on the big stage that not only made their task easier but more enjoyable.

The spear of doom is aimed at 2020, the stench of old grounds arises.

Spectral Miasmas Unearthed

• Cryptomass
• The Silence of Agony
• Creatures from the Vault

Violent Willo-wisp Transformation

• Funeral Circle
• Burial at Night
• Reaper Look in Your Eyes

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Adam M on March 15, 2026.

This is as raw as the band has sounded with a good emphasis on creating groove and rhythm. The band is very open to a number of different new ideas and this makes this a pioneering album of the genre and one to certainly worship rightfully. There is a good deal of power and intensity created and the band is very heavy and flamboyant at the same time.

 The musicianship here is solid with groovy guitars and a vocalist that mixes harsh and clean singing nicely. The entire affair is quite solid in terms of instruments with a solid performance by drummer Brann Dailor rounding things out. The whole affair is consistently enjoyable and one of the best examples of sludge metal there is.

The flaw to the album is that the band would become more interesting and progressive in the future and this can be seen as a somewhat raw release. There are very few things to dislike about the work though as it has a raw energy that was refreshing at the release time. This is an interesting and raw disc simultaneously.

In conclusion, I liked this album immensely and would recommend it to fans of the band’s other work and Baroness as well. There is a constant need to be fresh and new and this makes the album exciting. This is a well-performed beast of an album that is original and has a great take on what a groovy album should sound like.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Review by Allan on June 25, 2002.

Upon my first listen of Mastodon’s latest album, “Remission”, I was impressed not only by their performance, but also by the depth of the music. Between listens, the goal of these four band mates became more apparent. I could say Mastodon is just a band that is able to write some good riffs and has instrumental talent, but I’m afraid that it’s a bit deeper than that. “Remission” isn’t a piece of background music. It’s an emotional roller coaster that is atypically found in heavy rock. What they’ve accomplished here is something that I see as special, and “Remission” is certainly one of the finest albums I’ve had the pleasure of crossing paths with.

“Remission” is an album that is more than just heavy rock. Emotions are powerful things, and it’s not often that you find a band that can manifest those everyday emotions completely and thoroughly in the form of music. What it comes down to is that the emotions expressed by Mastodon are untainted. There is the wrath, there is the sorrow, and any other side of their music is conveyed without any unnecessary declarations. These songs are the band members who make up Mastodon.

Besides the fact that Mastodon’s music is heartfelt and pure, it does take more than emotion to write a great record. The band has that something else inside them that they take through on “Remission”. They aren’t afraid to go out on a limb. For Mastodon, there are no boundaries for their music and that’s the way it should be. The band will start off with their no nonsense style and go off into a frenzy, but then all of the sudden around the middle of the album they’ll drop into more melodic, calmer song. And you know what? That has just as much power as the others do. Without regard to the hesitant minds of some listeners, they will go into a piece of music that is technical as all hell, straightforward, and to the point without any frills.

The song ‘Trilobite’ is an excellent example for a mixture of many elements of which Mastodon successfully encompasses. It starts out with a calm guitar movement that is filled with an eerie tension that is not long accompanied by a second guitar that starts to build the song up. Bringing the song to life is the drummer who makes his grand entrance for not only himself, but also the singer who makes his presence fully known. Mastodon makes the way back into the dense dual-guitar harmony again before reminding you that the other band members are fully intact. Finally, it closes out into a melancholic chord progression that is delicately layered with subtle guitar notes between beats. The intricacies are endless. For example when 'Trilobite' makes its beautiful escape it is layered with two guitars that aren’t playing that exact same thing nor are they playing in the exact same time. For Mastodon the limits are endless and they show that with what they accomplished on “Remission”.

The chemistry between the band members is surely quite amazing. Guitarist Brent Hines blasts through ideas like an adrenaline junkie. He adds a substantial amount of harmony to the music to make everything twice as consuming with the addition of a hostile atmosphere. Making up for the lack of a second guitarist is bassist Troy Sanders. He accompanies Hines with excellent support and his discretion on “Remission” is often the times what make those repeated listens more interesting. More than just the frosting on the cake, the singer screams for his life with a passion. Whether or not he is the most brutal of all the singers out there or if he’s the downright nastiest vocalist of the scene is not an issue. What matters is his performance because it includes precision and honesty. The base of the operation is their drummer, a man who plays like he’s the only force against true evil. As if technicality wasn’t overrated, this guy is more than just a replica of a four-armed monster. He knows how to stay in tact with the band while terrorizing his drum kit, and amongst all this self-created chaos he is not sloppy and leaves enough room to be tasteful. This unit known only as Mastodon is one powerful beast and possesses one of the tightest line-ups I’ve come across in awhile.

Bottom Line: “Remission” is easily one of the best albums I’ve heard all year and should be listened to by everyone out there who likes heavy music that’s more than purely superficial.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9.5
Atmosphere: 9
Production: 10
Originality: 9
Overall: 9

Rating: 9.3 out of 10