We’ve come to possess The Cosmic Key… With this power, we will unlock a review for the new Crafting The Conspiracy EP due out March 19th!
This band has been dealing serious damage since their inception back in 2014. In that time, they’ve written two records and have opened shows for heavy hitters in the scene such as Thy Art Is Murder, Whitechapel, Aborted and Rings of Saturn. Crafting The Conspiracy themselves play a high octane cross between Melodic Death Metal and Deathcore stylings sure to knock out unsuspecting listeners. They could easily be recommended for fans of all the bands above as well as contemporaries along the lines of The Black Dahlia Murder, As Blood Runs Black, and All Shall Perish.
All their work since 2014 brings us up to today! Crafting The Conspiracy stand on the brink of releasing an all new EP “The Cosmic Key Part I”. This will ultimately be the first part of a greater story arc being brought to life by the band. The record consists of 6 tracks spanning a roughly 25-minute runtime.
If you’d like to give a listen firsthand, we’ve provided relevant streaming links you can click onto right here, right now! The band also has their music available across most major music platforms on the web. This includes the likes of Bandcamp and many more. In fact, you can find all the relevant, digital pre-order links by CLICKING HERE. Physical copies and merch can also be found by CLICKING HERE.
With all that being said, let’s dig in and see if this particular conspiracy holds weight…
First off, it bears saying that every level of this music is tight and technical. From the drums, through the strings, and up to the vocals there’s no slacking from this band’s line-up. Speaking of this band’s members, they are Josh Miranda up front with a ruthless, twisting and turning vocal assault, Sebastian Bracamontes and Marcus Denzel Willams with guitar and bass duties respectively weaving complex compositions with impressive note density, and Gil Gon holds everything down admirably behind the drum kit while adding levels of intensity to call his own. Together, they are a wrecking ball heading straight for your ear drums!
There are also some noteworthy guest spots that show up on “The Cosmic Key Part I”. Dan Watson of Enterprise Earth (formerly of Infant Annihilator) and Ben Duerr of Shadow of Intent both make beastly appearances to kick up the power and variety behind this record.
There are a number of key moments that stand out on this EP. In reality, all of the tracks are absolutely kick ass with a damn near constant intensity matched by intelligent songwriting all around. Some of my favorites would have to be the single “Dimension Door” which we were lucky enough to premiere here on The Circle Pit, “Lament of a Forgotten Race” which serves as a pulse quickening opener and a proper introduction to the experience as a whole, and the final track / other single “Within The Labyrinth” which serves as a hell of a way to close things out. However, as I just mentioned, they’re all worth digging into! If you’ve enjoyed the singles so far, it’s highly recommended you dig deeper!
It’s also worth noting that there’s a hidden track of sorts on the tail end of “Within The Labyrinth” which was originally ~4 minutes but now stands above 8. It’s one of the most experimental side steps on the record to be sure. It also brings up nice feelings of nostalgia to the days when hidden tracks on albums were more common… Unfortunately, they seem to have died out in our digital age.
The production on this EP is well done. Every instrument (and voice) has a definite place in the mix and they all work together to make a lethal impact. At worst, it may seem overblown at times but, all in all, it translates nicely onto the final product.
As for downsides on “The Cosmic Key Part I”, I wouldn’t go and say it’s the most original effort I’ve heard to date. While wearing influences on your sleeve is far from a bad thing, I honestly don’t know if I’d be able to positively identify this band if I dropped their music from my rotation and listened again in a couple years. They do what they do very well, but I wouldn’t go and say they have a sound to truly call their own yet. On the bright side, that’s my primary criticism. Everything else comes across quite well.
To sum things up, this is a monster of an EP! If you consider yourself to be a fan of Melodic Death Metal or Deathcore, this record should find its way into your music collection as soon as possible! “The Cosmic Key Part I” is a great kick to the chest that’s sure to melt faces and bring about good times to those who listen. There’s a good bit of replay value here and I’ll likely keep it in my own rotation for the remainder of 2019. To sum it all up, I’m feeling a solid 8 out of 10 for this one. Great record.
If this serves as any indication, the sequel “The Cosmic Key Part 2” will be worth anticipating… Prepare yourselves…
Once again, you can give a listen for yourself by scanning all the streaming links provided on this page. This includes a music video for the single “Dimension Door” which was premiered right here on The Circle Pit! You can also pick up the goods for your collection by visiting Bandcamp or CLICKING HERE to see all the primary digital platforms. You may also visit their merch store by CLICKING HERE.
If you’d like to follow along more closely with this particular conspiracy, you can stick your nose where it doesn’t belong and visit CTC on social networks. You can sign up at locations such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Now put on your tin foil hats for this conspiracy and enjoy the metal! \m/
Links: Facebook // Instagram // Bandcamp // Merch // Pre-Order
