Cypecore – Make me Real

Cypecore are a metal band from Mannheim, Germany. Their music has elements of melodic death metal, industrial metal, metalcore, groove metal and thrash metal. They prefer to work under the genre of sci-fi metal with material that ranges from brutal to singalong! After four concept albums and an EP the band are back with their fifth full album “Make me Real.”

So far, I have only scratched the surface of what this band are about. Cypecore is not only the name of the band, but also of the entire concept behind their albums. It is set in the year 2133 in a post-apocalyptic world following World War III where synthetic body parts are essential for survival. So, resembling something akin to the Borg from Star Trek, the band’s image mirrors this imagined scenario.

The opening track is ‘Intro,’ and the closing track is ‘Outro.’ This would suggest that the album is the next chapter in the stories of Cypecore following on from the previous ones. The former (Intro) is short and atmospherically sci-fi sounding with accompanying spoken word and suitably applied effects.

This acts as a lead-in to ‘Neoteric Gods’ which presents one aspect of this future world. All the old gods have been abandoned and replaced by new ones. The metalcore muscles are flexed here with harsh anguished vocals over sporadic blast beats. That all changes for the choruses which have clean vocals over an underlying heavy riff.

Metalcore seems to be the pervading genre for much of the album, certainly in ‘Pinnacle of Creation’ and ‘Doomsday Parade.’ Each of them is a shortish song with the former being a bit heavier than the latter. Both also have mellower breakdowns with clean vocals, and at this point of the album the style changes quite dramatically. The closest thing to a ballad, albeit still quite heavy but making it a perfect single, is title track ‘Make me Real.’ This catchy clean sung number is a welcome breather from the more aggressive stuff.

This portion of the album is what I previously referred to as singalong. Qualifying firmly for that category ‘King of Rats’ is so catchy that it is almost pop music. That image which is mainly created by the keyboard element is soon dispelled with the equivalent of an anti-breakdown. That is to say, a heavier section with harsher vocals before the melodic keyboard groove takes over again.

Photo Credit: – Alen Ljubic

This variety continues to the end of the album. With ‘Fragments’ their metalcore side once more rears its head, creating one of the heavier tracks on the album. Conversely, sections of ‘I’ll be Back’ could be described as electronic dance music. This sits cheek by jowl with elements of industrial, death metal and metalcore making it reminiscent of Rammstein in parts. Vocalist Dominic Christoph (commander) brings his full range to bear making this track one of the more diverse.

The current drummer is Sebastian Unic who goes by the stage name of “Ex09.” Two of their previous drummers were “Ex07” & “Ex08,” prior to that – who knows – not I. Another two ex-members have since passed away, which is tragic for such a relatively young band. Ex09 sports a full head mask which cannot be comfortable on stage, although it doesn’t appear to affect his performance. The things people do for their art.

The penultimate track ‘Patient Zero’ also has a Rammstein vibe, but with more of a metalcore approach. Angry verses do battle with cleaner catchy choruses, electronic snippets and a guitar solo. They throw everything but the kitchen sink at this one, finishing with the words “just kill me.”

Finally – you guessed it – ‘Outro’ concludes this chapter of the ongoing saga. It is a beautiful 3-minute instrumental which shifts gear up and down between one atmospheric section and the next.

Photo Credit: – Alen Ljubic

This band probably should be better known, they have a cool image and an interesting concept, almost a brand. By all accounts their live shows are something to behold. Whether I get to witness that remains to be seen, maybe not. Regardless, there is a back catalogue to investigate and possible future episodes of Cypecore to look forward to.

Track-list:

1. Intro
2. Neoteric Gods
3. Pinnacle of Creation
4. Doomsday Parade
5. Make me Real
6. King of Rats
7. Fragments
8. I’ll be Back
9. Patient Zero
10. Outro