Welcome to The Saw’s Butcher Shop! Ya Girl has talked A LOT about the New Wave of Death Metal (aka, New School Death Metal). My focus, up to this point has been (mostly) American bands. But there are tons of great new bands – less than five-years since their formation – that are bashing our brains in from all over the world! One of those bands is Crypta, an all-female Brazilian group, that just dropped their sophomore studio album, Shades of Sorrow (Napalm Records). And what a banger!

Crypta formed in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 2019. Founded by bassist/vocalist Fernanda Lira (ex-Nervosa), drummer Luana Dametto (ex-Nervosa), and guitarist Sonia Anubis (ex-Burning Witches). Guitarist Taina Bergamaschi (ex-hagbard) joined in 2020, and this line-up released Crypta’s debut album, 2021’s Echoes of the Soul (Napalm Records). In April of 2022, Anubis left the band and was replaced by Jessica Di Falchi. 

Shades of Sorrow, the second full-length album from Crypta, was released on August 4, 2023 via Napalm Records. Their debut was a solid record, really showcasing the talent of the band. But Shades of Sorrow is another conversation altogether! Crypta have really stepped-up their game on this one. Song structures and signatures are excellent, and the mix sounds great! I think what I like most about the new record is the incorporation of even more Blackened harmonies and melodies. Lira’s vocals on both records are Blackened screeches and Death Metal roars and gutterals, but on Shades of Sorrow, the riffs are layered with Blackened melodies, and have (almost) a progressive sense to their sound. You already know that Ya Girl loves some killer riffs! And this new record from Crypta has some really new and interesting deliveries for these hooks and time changes. 

Shades of Sorrow has a few musical interludes – the opening track, “Stronghold,” “The Limbo,” and the outro/Postlude, “The closure” – that make the record 51 minutes in length, but (IMO) there is 48 crushing minutes of great Blackened Death Metal, here. Some riffs are pure Death Metal, but most have that wicked Blackened melody that I love about the Black Metal sub-genre. Each track has an interesting approach; each differing from the others on the album. A great presentation! Not only does Lira have an excellent vocal delivery, but her bass playing is extraordinary! You can tell that Lira and Dametto have worked together for years – the bass and drums are brilliant together. The two guitarists really have some great chemistry and the combination of styles only adds to the incredible work. Awesome stuff from these chicks!

Rating – 9/10! I love Blackened melodies in my Death Metal!

Favorite Songs – the single, “Lord of Ruins” tells you everything you need to know about Crypta; “Dark Clouds,” and “Stronghold.” 

Stay Metal,

THE SAW