'Crypta' live at Exchange/Bristol

It's a Thursday evening in Bristol, the weather's bleak and it's a school night, but we're approaching the doors of 'Exchange' to see the Brazilian Death metal quartet, 'Crypta', to brighten up our evening.

Exchange never disappoints as a venue and always feels like a home from home, instantly filling one with a warm welcoming feeling. The low ceiling, intimate stage, and proximity to the bands make every show here a unique experience.

I love this venue and feel it's an absolute gem for the live music scene. The sound quality is always top-notch, and the staff is friendly and enthusiastic about the music.

Tonight, Crypta have brought 'Moon Reaper' and 'Sodomized Cadaver' as support, and the choice of fan attire is consistent with the evening's choice of bands. T-shirts are black, and logos are spiky, this can mean only one thing…Tonight is going to be brutal, and brutal it is.

Moon Reaper kicks things off as the Bristolians let rip with their brutal brand of death metal, the audience lapping it up as Moon Reaper begin to warm the crowd. Their performance is tight and ferocious, setting the perfect tone for the night.

Sodomized Cadaver are up next, unleashing their no-holds-barred, non-discreet death metal. Each song has a more brutal name than the previous, and their guttural sound is enough to make your bowels vibrate. Their stage presence is intense, and the crowd responds with vigorous headbanging and moshing.

Before Crypta are up, sword displays are put in place, ready for the quartet to take the stage. The atmosphere is electric in anticipation for Crypta’s arrival. The sword displays, along with the Crypta backdrop, set the mood. As the audience waits for the quartet to take the stage, we take in the scene, heightening the anticipation before drummer Luana Dametto takes to the stage, followed by the rest of the band who greet the audience with hand gestures while the crowd erupts into a roar of praise for the band's arrival.

Crypta are happy to be here, and the crowd's reaction is on the same note. As the quartet launches into their first song, it’s clear to hear the praise is fully justified. Crypta are here to slap us around the face with their brand of beautifully brutal death metal, and the crowd can’t get enough.

Jéssica di Falchi and Tainá Bergamaschi absolutely rip on guitar as they switch from brutal riffage to face-melting shredding solos. Their guitar playing is perfection, technically brilliant, and a joy to watch.

Fernanda Lira is an exceptional frontwoman. Her vocals are incredible and totally engaging. As the air from a nearby fan flows through her hair, she could quite easily be mistaken for a main character in a blockbuster movie. She has heaps of character to match her extremely high level of talent.

Crypta has everything a metal band needs in spades plus more. In fact, forget the spades, Crypta buries us with metal goodness like a full-on digger has been brought to the gig with spades thrown quickly aside. These girls mean business, and now they have the audience in their web!

Every song turns up the heat on the previous, driving the night to an audible and emotional high point. Metal horns can be seen repeatedly thrown in the air as a mark of respect to the band, and as the evening goes on, the pits gather more and more momentum until the front rows are thrown into a total frenzy. This audience wanted a frenzy, and that’s exactly what they got.

Like a great movie, the audience is completely immersed in the entertainment, but there’s that feeling of sadness knowing that the show will eventually have to come to an end. We’re given the heads up by vocalist Fernanda Lira that there are only two songs left in their set, which is met with jovial boos from the crowd. She quickly follows up by saying they’ll definitely be back, which is met with delighted cheers from the audience.

The quartet's sound is incredible and is as sharp as the swords displayed on stage. Everything is note-perfect and perfectly timed to match. Crypta are extremely well-rehearsed, which makes watching them deliver their craft an absolute pleasure.

As the evening comes to a close, I’m left wanting more, but I know it won’t be long until Crypta are frequently seen on bills around the globe as their talents can only be rewarded.

Crypta continue to tour the UK and will be taking to the stage at Bloodstock this year. Don’t miss out!