Heavy Rotation: Cryptosis’ Frank te Riet Shares the Dark and Brutal Tones That Fuel the Band

When it comes to writing new music and getting your artistic expression out in front of the masses, it’s never done within a vacuum. Artists are always listening to the music that drives and inspires them to keep pushing well into the creative process. For some bands, those very inspirations can drive an entire record.

For Cryptosis, whose most recent album Celestial Death dropped last month, there was a wide range of music from black metal to trip hop and everywhere in between that informed their musical tastes. To that end, we asked Cryptosis’ bass, mellotron, synth, backing vocals, and songwriter Frank te Riet to share some of the music that helped inform the process that went into Celestial Death. These are those selections in his words.

Emperor – Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk

The majestic orchestrations and intricate song structures of this album were instrumental in shaping the core of Cryptosis’s Celestial Death. Emperor’s blend of ferocity and grandeur taught Cryptosis how to build tension and release through layers of tremolo-picked melodies, regal chord progressions, and shifting tempos. The sweeping, almost cinematic scale of Anthems inspired the band to embrace a more ambitious, layered form of songwriting.

Dissection – Storm of the Light’s Bane

We listened to Storm of the Light’s Bane a lot while working on Celestial Death, and it really inspired us—especially the atmosphere and intensity throughout the album. Even though we only have one guitar player, the way Dissection blended melody and aggression had a big impact on how we approached the guitar work. The cold, almost mystical vibe of the record also influenced the themes we explored, bringing more of a cosmic and esoteric feel into our music.

Ozric Tentacles – Technicians of the Sacred

This expansive psychedelic journey introduced a sense of openness and spatial awareness to the songwriting of Celestial Death. The instrumental expansiveness and hypnotic grooves of Ozric Tentacles encouraged Cryptosis to break free from rigid song structures in some of its songs and embrace freeform. The album also influenced the use of synth textures and rhythmic repetition to create immersive sonic environments that extend beyond traditional metal boundaries.​

Blood Incantation – Timewave Zero

This ambient departure from Blood Incantation’s death metal roots inspired Cryptosis to explore the abstract and meditative side of music. Timewave Zero‘s bold step into cosmic ambient territory validated the idea that heaviness can be psychological and atmospheric, not just sonic. Cryptosis incorporated this ethos into the more introspective and spacey moments of Celestial Death, weaving in extended ambient interludes to offer contrast and cosmic depth.​

Massive Attack – Mezzanine

The brooding trip-hop soundscapes of Mezzanine introduced a noir-like atmosphere and emotional subtlety that permeate the darker, more shadowy corners of Celestial Death. We were drawn to the album’s meticulous production, the dark atmosphere and use of electronics.

Klaus Schulze – Moondawn

A masterclass in analogue synth exploration, Moondawn deeply informed the ambient and cosmic aspects of Celestial Death. Schulze’s long-form compositions and modular sequencing techniques influenced the band’s approach to creating flowing, otherworldly soundscapes. His ability to evoke vast, uncharted emotional landscapes through texture and time provided Cryptosis with a blueprint for balancing their metal framework with synth-driven excursions into the unknown.​

Enslaved – Heimdal

With Heimdal, Enslaved continued their fearless genre-blending journey, seamlessly merging black metal, prog, and psychedelia. This spirit of experimentation resonated with us and gave us the confidence to blur genre lines within Celestial Death. The progressive songwriting and mythic grandeur of Heimdal also inspired more narrative-based compositions and thematic depth in Cryptosis’s work, where each track unfolds like a chapter in a cosmic saga.

Trentemøller – Obverse

The melancholic electronica of Obverse had a subtle but powerful influence on the mood aesthetics of Celestial Death. We found inspiration in Trentemøller’s use of silence, delay, and reverb to evoke emotion and space. This translated into the more introspective moments of Celestial Death, where delicate synth lines and ambient textures mirror the emotional undercurrents of the heavier passages, offering balance and contrast in the album’s sonic journey.

Creepmime – Chiaroscuro

A hidden gem from the Dutch metal scene, blending death metal intensity with progressive and melodic nuances that set it apart from its contemporaries. Released in the mid-’90s, the album showcases a dynamic range—shifting between crushing riffs and atmospheric passages with surprising finesse. What makes Chiaroscuro particularly compelling is its ability to balance aggression with introspection, offering a layered listening experience that rewards repeat plays. As a recent discovery, it feels like unearthing a forgotten classic—one that deserves far more recognition for its ambition and unique voice within the genre.

Turia – Degen van Licht

This is another underrated Dutch gem that holds a special place for me. The album was a lifeline during the pandemic, helping me get through some tough times. Its raw, dark sound really strikes a chord with me.

Cryptosis on tour

Onslaught + Cryptosis
“Power From Hell 40th Anniversary Tour 2025”
29.05.2025 Oldenburg (Germany) – MTS
31.05.2025 Essen (Germany) – Turock
01.06.2025 Diest (Belgium) – Hell
03.06.2025 Dijon (France) – La Vapeur
04.06.2025 Milano (Italy) – Slaughter Club
05.06.2025 Bologna (Italy) – Alchemica
06.06.2025 Vienna (Austria) – Escape
08.06.2025 Salzburg (Austria) – Rockhouse
10.06.2025 Stuttgart (Germany) – Der Schwarze Keiler
11.06.2025 Aschaffenburg (Germany) – Coloss-Saal
12.06.2025 Leipzig (Germany) – Hellraiser
14.06.2025 Selb (Germany) – Rockclub Nordbayern

Cryptosis live 2025:
10.05.2025 Eibergen (The Netherlands) – Achterhoeks Metalfest
11.05.2025 Apeldoorn (The Netherlands) – Gigant
07.06.2025 Steyr (Austria) – Röda
06.09.2025 Dronten (The Netherlands) – Dronten MetalFest
18.10.2025 Monterrey (Mexico) – Cacique Metal Fest
13.11.2025 Aabenraa (Denmark) – Sønderjyllandshallen