REVIEW: CYPERUS - Blow It Out Your Ass

 

CYPERUS - Blow It Out Your Ass (2011)

Arkeyn Steel Records

Arkeyn Steel Records continues to dig into the underground metal archives with this re-release of CYPERUS, an American metal band from Olympia, Washington. The CD brings together the band's 1986 demo and their previously unreleased 1998 LP tape, offering a welcome opportunity to discover more of their material. CYPERUS also released the album Sanity Management in 1992. That record took a rather different musical direction and did not particularly impress me, so let's focus on the material featured here.

I first listened to the 1986 demo four or five years ago, and I remember being genuinely impressed by it. Now, remastered and accompanied by the 1998 recordings, it sounds just as good as I remembered. The LP material follows a similar musical direction, making this collection a coherent release rather than a simple gathering of unrelated recordings. Kostas Scandalis has done an excellent job with the remastering, bringing this material back to life while preserving the character of the original recordings.

Musically, CYPERUS deliver U.S. power metal with high-pitched, distinctive vocals and the kind of approach that will appeal to fans of the more traditional American underground metal scene. The songs have plenty of character, and the combination of powerful metal riffs, melodic passages and the band's unmistakable vocal style makes the material particularly enjoyable. There is a certain charm to these recordings that should appeal to listeners who appreciate discovering overlooked bands and releases from the past.

All the songs are worth listening to, but "Judgement Day", "Black as Night", "Local 517", "Blizzard Crusade" and "Ode to Omen" are probably the highlights. They capture the band's strengths and give a good idea of what makes this collection so appealing.

In conclusion, Blow It Out Your Ass is a really good release that brings together two worthwhile chapters of CYPERUS' history in a carefully remastered package. Fans of U.S. power metal and collectors of obscure underground metal releases should definitely check it out. Personally, I consider it a must-buy!

Ioannis Kaskamanidis