Interview: From Dystopian Thrash To Existential Cosmic Horror – How CRYPTOSIS Expanded Their Sound With Celestial Death

With their debut Bionic Swarm, Cryptosis carved a name for themselves in the metal world with razor-sharp precision and a dystopian, mechanical edge. Now, with Celestial Death, the band has expanded their sonic universe, blending cinematic atmospheres, blackened aggression, and philosophical musings on technology and existence.

In this exclusive interview, we dive into the creative evolution behind their latest release, exploring everything from their expanded melodic scope to the eerie silence of space that fuels their sound.

Your debut, Bionic Swarm, was celebrated for its mechanical, dystopian edge. How did your creative process shift toward a more personal and cinematic vision of Celestial Death?

While we were writing Bionic Swarm, we just wanted to go as wild and crazy as possible. Literally over the top and to the max on every level—in terms of technicality, speed, tightness, and concept.

On Celestial Death, we eased off the technical thrash approach a bit. For this album, we wanted to create something that incorporates a broader range of genres and energies than anything we’d done before. We also focused on adding much more melody compared to our previous work. Inspiration often works in mysterious ways, right?

The album’s press release mentioned the band taking a more “cinematic” path for this album and a “darker atmosphere.” What imagery or filmic influences did you draw on when shaping the album’s sound and narrative?

At the time of writing our debut album Bionic Swarm, we were deeply inspired by the Netflix series Black Mirror. Its dystopian themes and atmosphere really put us on a different path. The way the show explores the darker side of technology and its impact on society made us question not just the future but also how technology shapes our everyday lives in ways we often take for granted. It pushed us to think differently about the world around us and how innovation and technology can blur the line between progress and dehumanization.

This perspective became a driving force behind the lyrical themes of Celestial Death, where we dive into a future where humanity and technology become inseparable—but at what cost?

Celestial Death features more personal lyrical themes. Can you share an example of a personal story that found its way into a song, and why it was important for you to include it?

Celestial Death, like our debut album, is a concept album. However this time, it is less futuristic in the sense of time ahead of us. It deals with technological, existential themes that are part of our lives now, or soon will be. It’s a vision of how we see, feel, and experience the world. It’s a really dark time that we live in now, but at the same time, we have never had so much ownership. It’s a paradox, a contrast that fuels the album’s narrative. It’s a salvation and a curse. It is a mirror of the choices we make now and how they will affect the future world we live in.

Each song is written from the perspective of an individual who is struggling with the rapidly changing world. A good example is “Faceless Matter”. It is a metaphor for the loss of individuality in a world where artificial intelligence has become deeply integrated into human consciousness. The song explores the idea that humanity has lost its unique identities, becoming part of a homogeneous, collective mind. The title represents the existential struggle of being reduced to simply just matter — alive, but faceless, nameless, and indistinguishable from the rest.

The album interweaves intense metal passages — loaded with blistering technicality and space-age menace — with ambient, spacey segments. How did you approach balancing raw aggression with atmospheric soundscapes in your songwriting?

When we began the songwriting process, we recorded every idea that came to mind and put the files into a massive database. After a year or so, we selected the best ideas to continue working on and turned them into full songs. Some were just a single guitar riff, while others were nearly complete musical sections with drums, bass, guitars, and even vocal ideas.

For each idea, we worked to find the right energy to shape it into a song. We outlined the entire album to ensure that it is a balanced album. We analyzed the kinds of songs we already had and identified what was missing. We carefully examined tempos, keys, and the types of riffs and melodies we were using, steering the album toward a diverse but cohesive sound.

Marco’s drumming is highlighted as more prominent this time. How did his evolving style influence the overall dynamic and technical direction of the record?

Marco did an outstanding job on the drums for the album! We intentionally dialed back the overall tempo, which opened up more space within the arrangements. As a result, his parts not only feel bigger and more prominent but give it a chance to breathe and feel more expansive.

Working with the same production team and studio as your debut, how did you maintain continuity while pushing the sound into new, darker territories?

Why change a winning team, right? When we were recording our debut Bionic Swarm, we noticed that all the engineers working with us had a clear understanding of our vision and sound. They all did an outstanding job and gave the album the production that it needed to shine. On Celestial Death, it felt like the right choice to go with the same trio. The songs we recorded are darker, with more layers and more complexities. Straight from Fredrik‘s first mixes, we were blown away! Tony‘s mastering skills took the album to the next level.

Your vocal delivery blends guttural growls with strained, almost punk-inspired tones. How did you experiment with and refine this hybrid approach to better serve the album’s themes?

This is the technique I also used on Bionic Swarm. Only this time, I injected more aggression and power into the words and growls. It’s not just about sound. It’s about intent. I wanted the lyrics to hit with an extra layer of emotion and atmosphere, to carry weight and meaning to the song.

The cosmic theme runs deep in Celestial Death. How do you translate the vast, often eerie silence of space into the intense, layered music you create?

These are fascinating times, full of fast technological advancements and big changes in how society works, which makes them an exciting subject to write about. Futuristic themes inspire us because they show endless possibilities where you can let your imagination guide you. The sky is the limit.

Right now, we’re in the middle of a huge shift from a traditional world to a digital one. Things like artificial intelligence and automation are changing almost every part of our lives. On the bright side, these advancements bring amazing opportunities and make life more convenient and efficient.

But there’s also a different side. We’re becoming more dependent on technology, and that raises important questions. For example, the way that people interact is changing. We spend hours on our phones, and real face-to-face conversations are happening less often. People seem to be even afraid to talk to a stranger these days.

Through our lyrics, we don’t want to push any opinions. Instead, we want to make listeners aware of these changes and inspire them to think about what it all means. How they want to live their lives and what is important for them. It’s up to each person to decide how they feel about it. For us, it’s not about giving answers but about sparking ideas and starting a conversation.

Songs like “In Between Realities” and “Cryptosphere” seem to explore different dimensions of your concept. Can you discuss the narrative or thematic arc you intended with these tracks?

These are songs that are more written from a guitar perspective, unlike the other songs on the album. Both songs are riff based, like our debut album Bionic Swarm.

With several ambient passages scattered through the album, – like an organ’s subtle appearance on “The Silent Call” – what role do these interludes play in framing the narrative or mood for the listener? What inspired you to introduce such unexpected elements, and how did you decide on their placement?

When we were putting together the framework of the album, we decided that we wanted to have an album that delivers more room to breathe. On our debut,t there is an interlude called “Perpetual Motion”, which creates a break for the listener to process all the intensities that occurred. Also, it pushed an atmosphere that really connected with the concept of the album. On Celestial Death we put the interlude “Motionless Balance” to break up the album and to give it the right atmosphere that this album needed.

Celestial Death is some sort of a hybrid of black, death, and thrash elements with orchestral touches. How did you navigate and blend these styles without losing the band’s core identity? Was it challenging to keep the album cohesive while experimenting with different forms?

We draw inspiration from many sources, many of which are unconsciously used in our songwriting processes. First of all, we all listen to metal of course, but aside from that there is a difference between all band members and what other genres are enjoyed as well. Marco is more into heavy metal, thrash metal, hard rock, and death metal, whereas Frank is more into avant-garde, atmospheric, black meta,l and electronic music. I’m more into progressive, black metal, technical, and relaxing music.

The core of the Cryptosis sound is the blend of all these different preferences which makes it actually easier to keep the album cohesive and energetic.

This is a record that hints at philosophical musings on chaos, existence, and the cosmos. How do these abstract ideas – and your own personal experiences – shape the songwriting process?

Concepts like chaos and existence feel more relevant than ever because we’re living in an age where rapid technological shifts make us question our place in the universe. During the songwriting process, these ideas naturally found their way into the lyrics and the music.

There’s a constant tension between order and disorder, the known and the unknown. Both in the world and in our own lives. We’re always pushing ourselves beyond familiar ground, seeking something new while confronting the chaos around us.

With the bold evolution on Celestial Death, where do you see Cryptosis heading next? Are there new thematic or sonic frontiers you’re excited to explore in future work?

Absolutely anything can happen. Our next record will undoubtedly explore new territories and experimental approaches to writing metal. We love challenging ourselves and pushing the boundaries of our sound. Maybe we’ll introduce instruments we haven’t used before or dive deeper into blending organic and electronic elements.

The future has many parallel paths to take. It’s up to us to let our creativity guide us toward the right one. Hope to see you guys on the road!