It’s been five long years since Nuklearth graced my ears for the first time, followed in quick succession by at least another 800 spins. I snubbed it too, in my year-end list for 2020, where I relegated it to my (ish) spot. Banger after banger after banger led me straight to the bludgeoning wing of my local urgent care. Simultaneously, it led me to 2017’s Gammageddon, German outfit Cytotoxin’s breakout third record of irradiated tech-death craziness. Two completely different records, but both instantly recognizable as Cytotoxin. It’s not easy to achieve this kind of hit-after-hit diversity within the span of two records, let alone in the technical death metal realm. Can they pull off the mad hat trick with Biographyte?
If Gammageddon represents Cytotoxin at their most technical and unhinged, and Nuklearth at their hookiest and most brutal, then Biographyte represents Cytotoxin at a conflicting crossroads. Still immediately recognizable, thanks to the dual guitarists’ trademark oscillating, arpeggiated leads and groovy riffs, Biographyte never ventures into uncharted territory as freely as Gammageddon and doesn’t make memories as vividly as Nuklearth. On the other hand, Biographyte strikes a more genuine, serious tone—even bleak at times—and its musical content reflects that no-nonsense intent. Lyrically, it functions as a collection of historical monuments to the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster in various locations in Pripiyat, the people who lived there, and those who rushed in providing aid. In total, these small shifts manifested in a greater quotient of technical showmanship and thematic gravity, but they also negatively impacted memorability and engagement.
I’m hard pressed to call anything on Biographyte unworthy of the Cytotoxin pedigree, as no shortage of guitar wizardry, vocal brutality, and rhythmic pummeling unleashes a punishing aural assault (“Hope Terminator,” “Condemnesia”). This is a great thing, as it makes highlights like “Biographyte,” “The Everslave,” and “Bulloverdozed” stand out as shining examples of Cytotoxin’s capabilities—and powerful reminders of how much fun their music is. I’ll never get enough of those shimmering leads sparkling against chugging pummels and speedy double-bass runs, pushing the limits of what I could call “melodic” in this space while, in a quantum twist, also toying with that “hypermelodic” boundary (“Eventless Horizon”). It’s a fascinating paradox, always creating attractive points of interest and ear-catching series in a lightning-fast, yet accessible, manner that proves the substantial breadth and deceptive versatility of Cytotoxin’s sound and structure.
Where Biographyte falls short is in memorability and in comparison with their portfolio thus far. To the first point, a majority portion of this material, even the standout moments, blended together the longer I spent time with it. With the exception of a couple of flat beatdowns (“Behind Armored Doors”), a number of Biographyte’s isolated phrases are readily interchangeable with others. Consequently, I found it difficult to pick individual songs out of the lineup and to remember those aforementioned phrases outside of active listening sessions. To my second point, while Cytotoxin’s technical prowess and polished performances can’t be questioned, a number of its otherwise effervescent leads are dull in relation to those peppering the previous two records. Exacerbating this problem, Biographyte is bloated at 52 minutes. It would’ve felt overburdened even if the quality of its songs reached the same echelons as Cytotoxin’s best material. Considering that’s not the case, Biographyte drags even further past its half-life.
This begs the question: is Cytotoxin running out of great ideas after fifteen years of consistently great tech death? It’s too early to say for sure, but I prefer to think this is but a mild hiccup. In the end, Cytotoxin’s ridiculous level of talent and skill alone prevent Biographyte from falling into Disappointing, or even Mixed, territory. If this review seems harsh—and it probably is—that’s a consequence of having experienced two incredible records by these Germans back to back immediately preceding this one. It’s everything I expect and want to hear from Cytotoxin, but it’s also missing that special runoff that made Gammageddon and Nuklearth essential. Thankfully, Cytotoxin aren’t ones to do the same thing twice, so I look forward to hearing what comes next. For now, I know I won’t reach for Biographyte as often as other installments, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t Good. It just isn’t Great, and that’s okay.
Rating: Good!
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Self Released
Websites: cytotoxin.de | facebook.com/Cytotoxinmetal
Releases Worldwide: April 11th, 2025
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