None So Vile

Template:Use dmy dates None So Vile is the second studio album by Canadian death metal band Cryptopsy, released on 3 July 1996 by Wrong Again Records. The album was later reissued by Displeased Records and Century Media Records. It was re-released on vinyl in 2012 by War on Music.

None So Vile is the first album to feature bassist Eric Langlois, and the last to feature vocalist Lord Worm, until his return on 2005's Once Was Not. The art featured on the cover of the album is a painting by Italian Baroque painter Guido Reni titled Salome Bearing the Head of St. John the Baptist, reversed.

The album is now considered a classic within the death metal genre, and has received a cult following since its release.

Composition and themes

William York of AllMusic described None So Vile's sound as "almost entirely relentless," and Ultimate Guitar senior editor David Slavković said "It's really hard to find anything as raw and brutal as Cryptopsy". Kerrang! described the album's style as "technical without being bloated, blasphemous without being cheesy, [and] brutal without being predictable." Decibel characterized the album's sound as demonstrating "monstrous groove, maniacal tempos, savagely bangable riffs and scorched-throat vocals." Kevin Stewart-Panko of Decibel described Cryptopsy vocalist Lord Worm's vocals as "the most artful use of the death growl ever put on record," and his lyrics as "literate, profane, wryly funny, [and] Burroughs-esque". William York of AllMusic described Lord Worm's vocals as "a mix of psychotic low-end growls and tortured screams" and called them "suitably intense and scary."

Some of the album's themes include dismemberment and cannibalism. Sociologist Natalie Purcell stated the album's lyrics are "equally [as] chilling" as the lyrics written by Chris Barnes on Cannibal Corpse's third studio album, Tomb of the Mutilated. She said the lyrics "not only describe gruesome acts, but also offer speculation as to the feelings, drives and desires that would motivate a person to commit such acts." Instrumentally, the album features downtuned guitars, complex time signatures, dissonant harmonies, "mid-paced chugging", and "blistering" guitar solos. William York of AllMusic described the album's sound as "tight, fast, and complex" and the riffs as "darkly catchy." Some of the tracks have drawn comparisons to thrash metal. The album makes use of samples. The album's sixth track "Phobophile" features a dreary piano intro that draws influence from classical music.

Reception and legacy

None So Vile is regarded as one of the most influential death metal albums of the 1990s, inspiring many later acts and musicians in both the technical death and brutal death metal subgenres. Metal Hammer contended that the album is a "must-have for any extreme metal fan’s collection" and William York of AllMusic called the album "near perfection" by the genre's standards. In congruence, Ultimate Guitar senior editor David Slavković called the album "technical perfection," and expressed his belief that Cryptopsy drummer Flo Mounier could be one of the greatest death metal drummers of all time.Template:Music ratings

Accolades

Publication	Country	Accolade	Year	Rank
Decibel	US	The Top 100 Death Metal Albums of All Time	2012	10
Loudwire	US	10 Best Metal Albums of 1996	2016	4

Personnel

Writing, performance and production credits are adapted from the album liner notes.

Cryptopsy

• Lord WormTemplate:Sndvocals
• Jon LevasseurTemplate:Sndguitar
• Eric LangloisTemplate:Sndbass guitar
• Flo MounierTemplate:Snddrums, backing vocals

Additional musicians

• Eric Fiset – backing vocals
• Steve Thibault – backing vocals

Production

• Pierre Rémillard – production, engineering
• Co-produced by Cryptopsy

Visual art

• Elisabetta Sirani (Herodias with the Head of John the Baptist) – cover art
• Flo Mounier – photography
• Simon Marsden – photography

External links

• None So Vile at Cryptopsy's official website
• None So Vile at AllMusic