2. With over a decade under their belts and considered by many to be one of the pioneers of the burgeoning metal underground in India, Kryptos has spearheaded the steady rise of Indian heavy metal over the years.
Formed in the winter of 1998 in Bangalore, India, Kryptos has always strived to create original and thought provoking music, which combines the aesthetics of 80’s thrash and pure melodic metal. Influenced by the likes of Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and Iron Maiden along with heavy hitters like Coroner, Kreator, Candlemass, Dark Tranquillity and Nevermore, Kryptos manage to channel these influences into a sound that is all their own.
In 2004, Kryptos released their debut album, Spiral Ascent, which quickly spread through the underground circuit in India as well as countries like Germany, Argentina and other parts of Europe. Featuring incredible cover art by Dark Tranquillity’s Niklas Sundin, the album was a tour de force of gritty melodic heavy metal. Bursting at the seams with classic riffs, catchy melodies and inspired songwriting, Spiral Ascent helped garner a whole new legion of dedicated fans from all over the country and other parts of the world.
With the success of their first album, Kryptos headlined scores of gigs and festivals and showed the nation why they are one of the most intense and powerful live acts to ever emerge from the Indian subcontinent.
In April 2006 Kryptos signed with Old School Metal Records from California, U.S.A and became one of the first metal bands from India to be signed by an international label. The band entered the studios later that year to record the highly anticipated follow up to their debut album and finally emerged in mid 2008 with their storming second album The Ark Of Gemini
Raising the ante in every way possible, The Ark Of Gemini bursts forth with absolute metallic power and passion. From the unbridled ferocity of lead single Heretic Supreme to the crushing behemoth Tower Of Illusions, The Ark Of Gemini is a cerebral and devastating ride through metal’s deepest recesses and celestial peaks.
While the album received accolades from all over the planet from fans and critics alike, Kryptos landed endorsement deals with Vic Firth, Mapex Drums and ESP Guitars as well as a coveted supporting slot for the mighty IRON MAIDEN at Rock In India 2009 as well as the supporting slot for Amon Amarth at the Deccan Rock Festival 2009. These were just a few of the highlights of a fantastic year for Kryptos, which also included playing to thousands of fans all over India as well as performing an incendiary 2 hour set to a rabid audience for the filming of their soon to be released DVD titled Alive In The Krypt.
2010 promises to be a break through year for Kryptos with the release of their third album coming up on the horizon. With expectations already reaching fever pitch, 2010 will also see Kryptos embark on their first ever European festival tour where they will proudly fly the flag for Indian heavy metal and show the world that they indeed are a force to be reckoned with.
The third album, The Coils of Apollyon was released on 18 February 2012.
Kryptos are :
Nolan Lewis (Guitars/Vocals)
Rohit Chaturvedi (Guitars)
Ganesh K (Bass)
Anthony Hoover (Drums)
Starfall
Kryptos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
An oracle moon peers through the veil
Charon awaits the souls of the lost
The seance begins in circles of thorns
Darkening skies, harbingers of doom
The cries of the witch shatter the night
A gathering storm, the omens align
Raise you blackened steel
Sound the horns of hell
When the snakes of god uncoil
The stars will fall again
A prophet appears on an altar of sin
Defiling our minds with tablets of sand
Entomb the liar in crystalline shrouds
Silence the tongue of illusion's son
Discordant hymns to the enslave of man
A casket of bronze for the apostles of greed
Longinus soaks in the blood of the saints
The martyr falls to the spear of fate
Raise you blackened steel
Sound the horns of hell
When the snakes of god uncoil
The stars will fall again
Bow down! Treacherous angel flesh
Bow down! Twisted virgin wrath
Bow to me!
Beyond the realms of infinite time
Seraphim suns cry out in vain
Eden falls to the god of the void
Sire of Cain your destiny waits
Onwards we march through deception's gates
At the central of heaven - the codex of life
Draconian gods fall to our chains
Immortal blood, thy kingdom is mine
Raise you blackened steel
Sound the horns of hell
When the snakes of god uncoil
The stars will fall again
The lyrics to Kryptos's Starfall are a poetic description of a coming battle and the evil that surrounds it. The opening lines paint a picture of impending doom, as the time draws to a hand and the oracle moon peers through the veil. Charon, the ferryman of souls in Greek mythology, is mentioned as he awaits the souls of the lost. The seance begins in circles of thorns, which could be interpreted as a ritual to summon forces to aid in the coming battle.
The imagery in the following lines becomes even darker as the skies darken and harbingers of doom appear. The cries of the witch shatter the night and a gathering storm looms as omens align. In contrast, there is mention of baptizing blades in temples of gold, which could symbolize a preparation for battle in the face of overwhelming evil. The repeated refrain to raise blackened steel and sound the horns of hell, suggests that this is a battle cry for a group of people who are ready to fight for their lives.
There are also references to divine beings, both good and evil. The song mentions gods, seraphim suns, and a god of the void. The lyrics are full of religious references, including a prophet appearing on an altar of sin, hymns to the enslave of man, and martyrs falling to the spear of fate. In the end, the lyrics seem to suggest that the battle is won, as Draconian gods fall to our chains and immortal blood leads to the establishment of a new kingdom.
Line by Line Meaning
Now that the time draws to a hand
With time running out, the end nears
An oracle moon peers through the veil
The full moon reveals hidden truths
Charon awaits the souls of the lost
The ferryman is ready to escort the dead to the afterlife
The seance begins in circles of thorns
A ritual to summon spirits starts with a painful barrier
Darkening skies, harbingers of doom
The ominous clouds indicate a disaster is imminent
The cries of the witch shatter the night
The witch's screams disturb the peace and foretell of danger
A gathering storm, the omens align
Signs from nature come together to signal a catastrophic event
In temples of gold we baptize our blades
Weapons receive a holy blessing before battle
Raise you blackened steel
Prepare for war with darkened weapons
Sound the horns of hell
Summon the forces of evil for battle
When the snakes of god uncoil
When divine power is unleashed
The stars will fall again
A cosmic calamity will ensue
A prophet appears on an altar of sin
A corrupt figure claims to have divine revelations
Defiling our minds with tablets of sand
Misleading information clouds our judgement
Entomb the liar in crystalline shrouds
Expose the falsehoods and imprison the deceiver
Silence the tongue of illusion's son
Stop the spread of false beliefs from its originator
Discordant hymns to the enslave of man
Songs of oppression celebrate the subjugation of people
A casket of bronze for the apostles of greed
The greedy will receive a fitting punishment
Longinus soaks in the blood of the saints
The spear that killed Christ's follower is a symbol of persecution
The martyr falls to the spear of fate
The death of a righteous person is predetermined
Bow down! Treacherous angel flesh
Submit to the wickedness of a deceitful angel
Bow down! Twisted virgin wrath
Fear the vengeance of a virgin goddess
Bow to me!
Obey my will and authority
Beyond the realms of infinite time
In a dimension of endless time
Seraphim suns cry out in vain
The heavenly beings' cries go unheard
Eden falls to the god of the void
The paradise is destroyed by a void entity
Sire of Cain your destiny waits
Those who share Cain's lineage are destined to suffer
Onwards we march through deception's gates
Push past the illusions that hinder progress
At the central of heaven - the codex of life
The key to eternal life is at the center of paradise
Draconian gods fall to our chains
Powerful beings can be subdued by mortal efforts
Immortal blood, thy kingdom is mine
With divine lineage, the singer claims the throne
Contributed by Max A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.