After three decades of ungentle supremacy, CRYPTOPSY still make blasphemy sound fresh, but many underground metalheads trace the JUNO Award winners' resurgence to the two EPs they released during the mid-2010s. "This is without a doubt the best material the band has released in the new century", Decibel wrote about 'The Book of Suffering' upon the arrival of its first installment in 2015. Three years later, when the band cracked open its second chapter, Angry Metal Guy was delighted: "The band is once again at the forefront of creative brutality". While split between two EPs, 'The Book of Suffering' was always meant as a companion piece. CRYPTOPSY framed Tome I around the concept of those phobophiles among us who inflict suffering (including a twisted-but-true tale of a Greyhound bus trip gone horribly awry). Meanwhile, Tome II shifts perspective to those who've escaped their tormentors. "Sire of Sin" - a ripping escape from a notorious religious cult - quickly turned into a staple in the band's ever-mutating setlist. Tomes I & II of 'The Book of Suffering' were both originally released independently. Now that both EPs are available for the first time on one combined vinyl, fans can finally suffer in peace.
