Beware of The Crippler.
Formed in 2020 in the United States, the band composed of Jag 13 (vocals, Bad Luck 13 Riot Extravaganza, Eat the Turnbuckle), Shlak (guitar/vocals, Eat the Turnbuckle, ex-Call the Paramedics), Dan O’Hare (guitar, Total Fucking Destruction, ex-Brutal Truth), Hook (bass, Eat the Turnbuckle, ex-Hellrad) and Evan (drums) released a demo the same year, then announced in 2022 their signing to Horror Pain Gore Death Productions, as well as the release of his their album, I’m Just Gonna Let Myself In.
The album starts with the eponymous track, I’m Just Gonna Let Myself In, which immediately lays the foundations of this aggressive mix between Death, Grind and Thrash: violence is always present. Whether it is in riffs, in Âvoice or into energetic patterns, everything is done to make us move, just like on Mangled Bodies, the shortest track, which remains in a rather Old School approach. The recipe is similar for I Don’t Wanna Hurt You, I Just Wanna Kill You which lets sharp and explosive leads integrate the jerky basis as well as on I Keep Hearing Noises in Your Basement and its intro sample which leads us to a true bludgeoning. Suicide by Cop offers dissonant tones coupled with the fast and motivating basis, but also some more thoughtful leads before Human Offals places its solid and jerky riffs. Some abrasive lead parts appear too before Stabbing People comes back with its catchy and straightforward rhythmic. The band quickly follows up with Let’s See What’s in Those Pockets, a groovy track influenced by Hardcore roots on which the murderous Death Metal expresses itself, but also with I Have a House Full of Guns, Just for Murder which takes the same recipe to place sharp leads. Aggression surfaces again with 21 Nails and its frantic rhythmic which will only let us breathe a few moment at the beginning of the track, then Where’s My Fuckin’ Money will come to account us with a rather Old School approach. The end approaches with Orgy of Violence which places its Thrash roots in a massive basis, then with Rabies is a Killer which will let an energetic and cheerful rhythmic put a final point to the album.
Born and bred in violence, The Crippler mixes aggressive and catchy Old School roots to make I’m Just Gonna Let Myself In a well-working album whatever the circumstances. Nothing revolutionary, just raw riffs.
80/100