Every so often, we’re met with talent that is not only a breath of fresh air, but something that changes the very name of the game. Where we’re constantly inundated with names that stick well within the boundaries of their given craft even if it’s all done quite well by all accounts, there’s little that can compare to when a band shoots for the stars and achieves success with results that are no less than overwhelming and staggering. Such names are few and far between, yet Cryptic Shift made their presence known far and wide with their sensational first album six years ago. Now, with their second, they’re well on their way to truly seizing their destiny.

The modern state of technical death metal is quite a fascinating thing given all the talent and craziness that goes on within its confines, but there are few that managed to be as promising and flavorful as Cryptic Shift. It was with their first album that they made a massive stride forward as musicians to show us what they were made of with the results singularly intoxicating from top to bottom. Yet, the question remained for years: would they be able to follow-up such greatness with further displays of immaculate power? The arrival of their second full-length record, “Overspace and Supertime”, should offers more than enough answers for those seeking them. There isn’t so much as a shred of this record that isn’t worth becoming absolutely lost within, pummeled by, nor torn to shreds over. Words can barely do justice for what Cryptic Shift has accomplished in the 79-minute runtime that’s somehow shoved into five unyielding and expansive tracks that do not just showcase how far Cryptic Shift has already come, but precisely how far they’ve raised the bar for the genre as a whole. This is far more than just a display of technical death metal. Rather, “Overspace and Supertime” is Cryptic Shift breaking and surpassing any possible mold that the scene may place around them to make themselves known as a wholly unique entity that holds nothing back, offers no reprieve, and makes it all look damn good the entire time. Those caught unaware before such otherworldly madness are simply eviscerating and thrown into the ether.

I have sat here for hours trying my best to put into words the power and calculated intensity that has gone into every moment of “Overspace nad Supertime”, yet this is one of those moments that I feel I’ve no choice by to throw my hands up in overwhelming surrender and simply implore you to become intimate with what’s pulled off in this record. There is still almost a full ten months before 2026 comes to a close, but I’ll be damned if Cryptic Shift isn’t meant to be an undeniable highlight for what this year will bring forward. This is a landmark creation for the band, the year, and the genre with its impact surely lasting for quite some time and more than likely to inspire the next wave of technical death metal maniacs.

“Overspace and Supertime” releases on February 27th via Metal Blade!

LISTEN to advanced tracks from “Overspace and Supertime” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Cryptic Shift on Facebook here.

FOLLOW Cryptic Shift on Instagram here.