Montreal, Canada's Cryptopsy has long been recognized as an innovator of extreme metal. During the last decade or more, they have had a revolving lineup (Wikipedia lists more than a dozen former members), and constantly shifted styles, yet always remained extreme. The additions to the lineup for The Unspoken King include a new vocalist, Matt McGachy (replacing Lord Worm) and keyboardist, Maggie Durand (since departed).

The Unspoken King wants to be technical death metal at heart but is many things. With the increased use of clean vocals and spoken words to accompany the deathly growls, McGachy's vocal performance is intriguing and more in-depth than Lord Worm's on 2005's Once Was Not. But in the extreme metal scene, all eyes have to be focused on drummer Flo Mounier, acclaimed for his technical prowess and velocity.

Early material on the disc is the most accessible I've heard from Cryptopsy. It still has plenty of near- unlistenable and furious moments, but-call me crazy--I hear a hardcore influence in “Worship Your Demons,” a Pantera-like guitar riff in “Silence the Tyrants,” and “Bemoan the Martyr” sounds like a death metal Mudvayne with its funky bass twang, eerie clean vocals and syncopated guitar riff. Things return to normal after this--well, Cryptopsy-normal. The next batch of songs is about as heavy and extreme as you can get. I felt like I was being pulled into a shallow grave by scores of undead, as if a skeletal hand was grasping at my ankle, relentless in its efforts to drag me to my demise. Starting with “The Plagued” and ending with “Bound Dead,” a six-song stretch is too fast and furious for a metal novice. The only thing making these songs coherent are the varied vocals of McGachy. This dude can switch from a creepy, melodic vocal to a guttural growl with the snap of a finger. It's the vocals, not the drumming or guitar work, that make this Cryptopsy album stand out.

It's hard to say if fans of the band will latch on to this. The band has always experimented and had different lineups. It's like listening to a new band with each Cryptopsy album and that's no different here.