Kryptos symbolize a decade of thrash metal aggression in India. A band that has stuck to the task of making everything as close to ‘old school’ thrash. Their second offering comes after a solid, well written & acclaimed self release-‘Spiral Ascent.’

As a reviewer I was quite satisfied with the debut, but felt the band was on the defensive swing and shirked away from pushing the envelope. And that’s why it sounded very conservative in nature. Nevertheless, it had a great recall value, and Kryptos on any given day can be proud of composing songs like ‘Dissension’, ‘Satyr Like face;’ and ‘Clandestine elements’.

‘The Ark of Gemini’ starts off with a very latent and yet so promising first riff nomenclature, this leads me to be slightly apprehensive about the longevity of momentum and appeal offered by first 3 tracks. Without a hiss, all 3 remind me of’ Dark Tranquility’s’ Mind’s I’ era. Unquestionably that band plays a huge role in shaping the layered 2-tone segments especially on the non-lyrical sections. Lead playing throughout the album is anciently classy and provides an everlasting aura.

All of a sudden it becomes bitter with the placement of wicked and mourning ‘Tower of illusion’ (track 4) it stands like a Judas Priest/Kreator self attested stop over For me this is the first pebble in street of a decent review ,not because of the composition but its fitment on the album. Track 5 ‘The revenant’is a warhorse that infuses some charge back into dying mid-way pace. Although the riff structure on this one is stiff, linear yet at the same time sounds very disciplined. The dark leads on this very track haunt you till the tip of it.Thats the art of making an extra-ordinary out of the ordinary! Moreover Nolan & boys grip it up passionately with lyrics like.-‘Never give up, Never give in, Never Betray’. Up next is’Vulcan’which is chunkily progressive but at the same time methodically orthodox in nature. Vocal delivery is dry growl in nature and relatively lower on hearing quotient, considering the thrash approach (but then It could be deliberate on the bands decision to have such a sound, therefore it’s very debatable!).

Fizz loss for me again starts at ‘Trident’ where a lower speed acts as the spoilsport. To add to my distrust is the intermittent pace bursting into full body burst during last phase, which sounds inconsequential. This also proportionately cuts the intensity of aggression which appears a unit below par.

Although, the high-point is the Head movement enjoyed by fans essentially during mid-sections on all the song. At the same time a listener might complain about the absence of a groovier vibe throughout the album.

Finally, divided thoughts-Like it because its Kryptos. Dislike it for being too Jurassic, repetitive and sluggish. A highly anticipated ordinary follow up to ‘Spiral Ascent’.