Review by JD on July 1, 2012.

I have heard my fair share of Goth inspired music. Some blow me away with its macabre brilliance and haunting message, while others make me run away with the cartoonish and very uninspired music that is sadly given to us. With that said, let me introduce you to a band from Atlanta Georgia called Frostbite.

Mixing Gothic Rock with a wall of metal that adds in a good dosing of Industrial music, Goth mainstay Christopher Lee Compton releases his next mind bending, darkness coloured album. With soul collapsing lyrics and quirky-spooky yet heavy at times music, he is a original on his own but the instantly inventive vocal style is not to my liking. Hollow, melody lacking to the point that it never melds into the music and horribly accented, it is a disappointing sound that kills what the music is.

The songs and lyrics themselves are rich in melancholy, power and musicality - but it is the vocals that spoils the mood. Coming through like a very poor vocals renditions of early Cult with Rammstein, this man’s voice kills any hope of having a good album. The music is pretty good for the most part, if he could omit the Industrial repetitiveness a little, but this man seriously needs to hand over the vocal job to someone that can actually sing. The Cookie Monster puking up acid in the back alley would sound better than this shit... and that is the nice version.

The music that Frostbite has is pretty interesting. With some changes, and Mr. Compton giving up the vocals, this would have been amazing to listen to. As of right now, it is a album that had plenty potential going in to be a Goth classic, and it ended up killed unknowingly by its own creator. Musical suicide is not unheard of in all facets of music, but it is sad to behold when face to face with it.

Someone call a priest - this man’s vocals needs the last rites. Sad, is it not?

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 3 (vocals killed this rating)
Production: 6.5
Originality:6
Overall: 6

Rating: 6.1 out of 10

Review by Alex on January 30, 2020.

Following 2 demos and 2 splits, Krypta Nicestwa return with an EP titled "Sarkofagi Nocnych Zjaw". Very synth driven black metal echoes through the halls of forgotten souls on here; early 2nd wave almost, like the very first incisions of keyboard synth in the genre. Seemingly as though dungeon synth had a fling with black metal in some sense and formed this during its magic moment. Backed by 2 individuals, one S. and the other V. (Vorghast), Krypta Nicestwa is bull's-eye on the tone and atmosphere of "Sarkofagi Nocnych Zjaw"; makes me want to carve out a wooden sword and go parading through the forest. Every aspect about the music appears sincere in rendition to embryonic 2nd wave symphonic black metal, sometimes reminiscent of Troll's "Drep De Kristne", other times of Negură Bunget's early work.

Never mind the laughter preceding the music on 'Spojrzenia Świątyni Nocy', this album is no joke, with salutary position assumed and face postured with wicked grin, "Sarkofagi Nocnych Zjaw" is within the territory of relics old (90s) black metal. Comes from Poland with synth as cold as the land, this time around the music here is well mapped out into 4 spells of epic sorcery, 'Czernie Bytów Chtonicznych' and 'W Sferze Pozagrobowego Trwania' give you that ancient chessboard feeling where every move is of an esoteric pondering, while 'Ołtarze Diabelskich Pierwocin' brings the arcane beauty of pleasures condemned. As it stands I could say "Sarkofagi Nocnych Zjaw" is a 9/10 but I'll reserve that rank for a full-length album given one is on the way and follows the footsteps of this. I can't think of a bad comment regarding this record, it emanates a feeling of being made in the 90s but left behind and forgotten for some reason, such as an ancient temple lost to memory; such should be the way of 90s black metal this sort.

Rating: 8 out of 10