Music that we really connect with and always spin every year is a rare thing. Usually, you’ll grow tired of a release after a number of years or have moved on to new favorites. As a bit of a Cryptopsy super fan, I went through a number of phases when it came to my favorite releases but in the end, it’s And Then You’ll Beg that I consider to be their finest hour. I could write a few pages about why I feel so strongly about this release but I’ll keep it short because this feature is about the album and those who love it in the death metal community, not so much about me and my connection to it.
Cryptopsy – And Then You’ll Beg was the work of a seasoned innovative band firing on all cylinders, and the album still feels ahead of its time now twenty years (and a day!) after it dropped. So without further ado, I was able to get vocalist Mike Disalvo and drummer Flo Mounier who played on the album to sit down for an interview. We tried getting more of the musicians who played on the release on board but for various reasons that didn’t pan out. Following the interview portion of this feature, I reached out to notable musicians in both established and newer well-known metal bands to get their thoughts about the album as fans of And Then You’ll Beg.
What were your thoughts and feelings regarding the album before and after it was out?
Flo: “We wanted to create an album that would surpass Whisper Supremacy technically. So I remember that the focus was more on the progressive side and with speed still in mind. When it was all said and done we were pretty happy with the result but would have probably liked a more flawless execution.”
“In general I believe the reaction was pretty positive. But I also remember complaining a lot about the advertising and distribution of the album. We would have liked more press and more ads.”
Mike: “We took a lot of time with the songs and we practiced often, so we were ready when we went into the studio. It was an important record for the band and I think the overall mood was let's deliver something that will matter to people, matter to us.”
“I think overall the reaction was pretty positive. Between the release of the record and subsequent tours, we really were surrounded by positivity. The negative side is always there as well but we never held much weight on who didn't like it, we focused our energy on who appreciated it. None of that other shit matters.”
Given that ATYB saw a new two-guitar line-up with Alex Auburn joining after Miguel Roy was a part of Whisper Supremacy, did this change things writing-wise for ATYB? (*I can’t find information regarding writing credits for ATYB so if the band has any of that, that’d be cool too?)
Flo: “No I do not believe it did. Jon wrote most of the riffs with some by Eric (bass). Myself and them would then piece them together.”
“I guess riffs would be attributed to Jon mostly then Eric. I'm usually there to piece things and bridge things. Mike would take all lyric credits aside from Back to the Worms.”
Mike: “Yeah, there were some changes. Both brought in riffs but their styles varied for sure. Miguel wrote in a more dissonant style and Alex was maybe more groove-oriented. Alex also has sick vocals, so that brought another new dimension to the band. He also added a few more solos to the mix. Regardless of any differences, they're two great guitarists and the band was fortunate to have had these guys be a part of this.”
What led the band to re-record “Back To The Worms” for ATYB and what led to the didgeridoo usage on “Screams Go Unheard”?
Flo: “I’m guessing we saw fit to put a more straightforward old-y alongside these more technical songs. The didge was kinda in at that time and we thought having one on the album would be cool, very simply. All decisions were band based and generally put to vote.”
Mike: “The didge was my idea, I am a big fan of the earthiness of that instrument and felt it would really work as an intro to “Screams Go Unheard”. I was suggesting from the time I joined the band that we should utilize different instruments to help tell the story and I think everyone was pretty keen to that idea. For “Back To The Worms”, I think it was Flo that suggested it but we were all onboard to re-record it. I have to say, the band was overall pretty open to these types of suggestions. Flo had used a percussion instrument with a coil coming out from the bottom of it for the beginning of “We Bleed” as well.”
While many people think of Whisper Supremacy as a “transition record”, I personally consider ATYB to be more of a transition release personally. What’s the band’s take on this topic and the vast differences between the two albums?
Flo: “I personally feel that Whisper Supremacy was more of a transition record. ATYB was a more extreme continuation of Whisper. As mentioned above we wanted to keep the speed and brutality with more progressive elements.”
Mike: “Hmmm…I don't think we ever discussed it. That is interesting to me, I would agree that perhaps Whisper would have been the transition record but, ATYB was a completely different beast. The arrangements were different for sure.”
“We went in with a full plan on how this record was going to go down and I think it went rather smoothly. I had come down with a vicious cold before my recording session and so did Alex actually. We wanted to push it back a week but we were already up against time and money constraints, so we both pushed through. Aside from that, the sessions were trouble free.”
“We did talk about the importance of writing a strong follow up record to Whisper. I mean you always hope the fans will dig whatever it is you put out but we definitely weren't too concerned with that. We were happy with what we were bringing to the table and hoped people would follow suit with their excitement.”
Was the reintroduction of a more chaotic grind-y feel at times a la Blasphemy Made Flesh a conscious choice or something that just felt right in the moment?
Flo: “I’m really not sure if we consciously compared the two albums but I'll lean towards the no answer. As you say I think that this just felt right for the time. If riffs or songs are a little off to us we scrap them right away. No B-sides, haha.”
Mike: “I don't recall us ever mentioning that we were looking to write an album that reflected back on previous releases, so no I would say it wasn't top of mind. In fact, I think ATYB is a more proggressive record than BMF.”
Was there internal debate regarding the direction of …And Then You’ll Beg, or, did it all feel “right” at the moment?
Flo: “I’m not sure what the debate is but we just do stuff that we enjoy doing at the time. Pretty sure it felt right, but there could have been some hair pulling here and there, lol. I do not remember.”
Mike: “None whatsoever. We were of the same mindset through the writing and recording of that album. I can safely say we felt it was "right". It doesn't end at just the music either; we were really joined when it came to the artwork and visuals for the record too. When it clicks, it clicks and that was what we were experiencing at that time.”
Given that Whisper Supremacy was the first-ever release for the band to not have a movie clip used in a Cryptopsy release, who/how was the decision made to use a clip from The Matrix on …And Then You’ll Beg decided?
Flo: “Since we always liked intros and outros we wanted to take our time to have some on this release. I believe we either didn’t have that time for Whisper or simply wanted to keep it brutal as fuck! Mike or myself, I don’t remember, though it would be appropriate because of the train concept for the cover artwork. It fits.”
Mike: “Flo had come up with that idea. It was quite fitting intro actually. The ending scream on “Screams Go Unheard” was his idea as well. I think that was from Run Lola Run if I remember correctly. He was a big film buff back then so he often had cool ideas to use from a variety of films.”
For your own standards, what’s your take on the album’s material now in the present?
Flo: “I honestly haven’t listened to it in some time. It is pretty amazing though to hear how complex this release was. I would now have liked to extend riffs that were awesome, lol, jam them out a bit longer. Also would have liked to refine the execution and the sound. What’s done is done though.”
Mike: “I like the record quite a bit. There are a lot of great ideas throughout, I really like the recording and sound of it, the drums and guitars are on point. There are things I would have changed vocally in hindsight but admittedly I am my worst critic. I think the arrangements are nice vocally, I am also proud of the lyrics. Overall I feel it's a damn good record.”
What does ….And Then You’ll Beg as a title mean?
Flo: “I believe again that this was a continuation of the title Whisper Supremacy. Mike may have a better answer, hahaha!”
Mike: “Ahhh…that's a mystery. I know what it means to us but I don't think we ever went into the meaning in interviews at the time. So I will remain vigilant in not giving up the ghost on that one haha. Let's see if Flo or Alex does haha.”
(*Alex Auburn-guitar had to drop out, I was told the secret meaning but won’t spill the beans!)
What do you all consider the legacy of ATYB to be?
Flo: “This is where Extreme Music came from. There’s a bit of everything in this release; groove, progression, brutality, speed and different musical genres. So it’s a pretty full album. No legacy really, just Cryptopsy.”
Mike: “Honestly, it's just a moment in time to me. Seeing people discuss this record after all these years is very humbling, an absolute honor. You never look at a piece of art, music, words…whatever the medium is and suspect it will have any legacy surrounding it at all. I am always surprised by that.”
How difficult was it to perform music from this album live?
Flo: “HAHAHA, at the time yes it was the most difficult material to play. But like anything else it was a matter of repetition. Still though there are some parts that were a challenge to nail. But that’s pretty much the case for most Cryptopsy releases. You know when you have a good show or when you don’t. Weird thing is most other people listening do not hear the difference.”
Mike: “Generally speaking, I find all the Cryptopsy songs a challenge live. We were fortunate to be that band that jammed 3 days a week and played the set 2, sometimes 3 times a jam, so we were always prepared before one-off shows or tours. Just the way I like that shit. There were a couple of tunes we rarely played live but I think every song from Whisper and ATYB was performed at least once in a live setting. We would talk after gigs about how well it went or correct minor details or mistakes the listeners probably never caught. We did pride ourselves on having a tight, energetic show and the reward was having the fans go crazy in front of us.”
(For Mike only) Beyond my prior question of what the album’s title pertains to, can you also explain the lyrics and themes of the album as a whole for us?
Mike: “There were a couple of songs related to my heavy distaste of winter, depression, conformity, being unstable in the mind, etc. I have always been a proponent of people drawing their own conclusions from songs. Sometimes I write in clear and concise ways and other times things are a bit more veiled. Regardless, it means what it means to the listener or reader, it becomes theirs.”
(For Flo Only) Do you have any observations or insights about the album from writing to completion to share? Did this feel like a new step-up within the confines of your evolution as a drummer?
Flo: “As I progressed musically, in practice and compositions, so did the writing process. We also used to push each other a lot, especially Jon and I. I would come up with beats and challenge him and he would ask me to play certain things to fit his riffs. It was a constant learning process and we tried to pull it off as best we could at the time. So yes this was kinda the top of our game at that point. It was and always is a group effort.”
For those that weren’t around when the album was released in 2001, what kinds of tours did you all do and how long after the album dropped did touring go on for?
Flo: “My memory fails me for this, I’m sure the others will have a better answer. I just remember wanting to do more for this release than was done.”
Mike: “We did a lot of touring for this record. We did the US and Canada, Europe, both festivals and tours. I think we went to Japan on that tour as well. The tours were all great and we had packed shows. It was a big time for us at that point.”
Does anyone who is answering still feel like the album is ahead of its time? Personally, I do feel that way.
Flo: “Yes I can agree with that. Also a lot of folks started enjoying it years after its release. Maybe for some it was too much to take at the time. This happened to me with the Cynic release, and later it became one of my favorites.”
Mike: “Yeah Cryptopsy was bringing something fresh to the scene, I agree, I don't think we sounded like anyone. It was important for us to pave our own way, make our own mark.”
This could just be my perception but how did the album’s super chaotic nature (which often felt like it drew from the Blasphemy Made Flesh energy/style) come to be? Were you all consciously re-leaning into that angle or did it just organically happen?
Flo: “Again I don’t recall if we actually compared the two when writing. That’s an interesting idea.”
What was the writing process for the album like? Did that vary at all from how prior releases were created?
Flo: ”No it was the same writing process that we had been using before. We would come up with riffs and ideas, in the jam space usually, and put them together in a song-like structure. We used to practice as a band 3 times a week, very strict about that.”
Mike: “Writing-wise, it was pretty much the same as Whisper. We took our time, nothing was rushed. Usually, Jon would come in with riffs or full arrangements and he and Flo would hash them out. Eric, Alex, and I were often there for the writing and would either offer opinions or come up with ideas as well.”
For metal especially, cover art feels really important. What led you all to go for the first non-painted cover for a Cryptopsy album?
Flo: “Not too sure how this came about, but I do remember that after practices we would sit down for hours talking about names, concepts, etc. When we came up with the idea we then took shots on location and our artist converted it to a painting like image?”
Mike: “We went with the same artist we used for Whisper, Francois Quevillon. Brilliant artist and super good guy. We had the train theme in mind and expressed our ideas to him and he provided the rest. We were working together with him to have our vision realized and he has an innate ability to complete your vision into reality. Personally, I love the artwork for ATYB.”
Statements From The Metal Community Regarding And Then You’ll Beg
Phlegeton of Wormed (Season of Mist)
"A revolutionary band, reaching beyond the limits of what we believed should be "extreme". I've been a super fan of Cryptopsy since the beginning. The first albums blew my mind, and they had a place among my best bands forever. The replacement of Lord Worm to Mike DiSalvo broke my schemes in "Whisper Supremacy" and I've to say that I had a hard time assimilating it, but then the train of death arrived with the monstrous "And Then You'll Beg", and the remained fragments of my skull were disintegrated once that derailing train ran over me, as the cover portrayed, I felt I was the main character while listening to it. Undoubtedly, this album was a game-changer, surpassing the musical logic of the time, fitting patterns that seemed impossible. Visionaries who influenced my way of seeing extreme music forever."
Nicholas McMaster of Krallice
“I was pleasantly surprised that this was not a request to write about ‘None So Vile’. That album and its predecessor Blasphemy Made Flesh landed with my teenage self as a near-continuous dopamine surge, NSV’s intensified by the fact that it was briefly out of print when I learned of its existence and therefore required months of tape-trade hunting to finally hear. They were intense and complex albums, but also direct, with big, surging rhythms you could move to, riffs at times melodic enough to hum in the shower.
And then the band changed. Whisper Supremacy had retained enough of NSV’s gothic vibe to bridge the gap, but by the time And Then You’ll Beg came out (the first album to come out after I was already a Cryptopsy fan) that was all gone. Instead you had an album less catchy than ever before— riffs as involved as any death metal record that currently existed and seemingly some imports from the gnarliest, most twisted forms of hardcore. The vocals were a bit dry and upfront in the mix, and the record started with a way-too-recognizable sample from The Matrix. Not the greatest setup.
But that’s part of why I’m glad to be writing about And Then You’ll Beg. It’s less of an up-front pleaser, more something you have to dig into. The band hangs on individual riffs for less time than on previous records before mutating them or moving on to transitions. If you’re in a rush and want to “get” the album in 3 minutes and 29 seconds, skip right to “Soar and Envision Sore Vision” (I know, I know): the near constant avalanche of riff variations or one-off transitions creates an impression of falling down an endless succession of whirlpools. None So Vile had refrains— you could even generously call them choruses— but by the time “Soar…” gets to its chorus, it gets one and a half reps separated with an interstitial riff and then song is over. Genius.
It’s worth mentioning that Eric Langlois is among the finest death metal bassists of the era (up there with Alex Webster and Steve Digiorgio) and that this is his finest recorded performance. But this record is not ultimately about individual performances. In 2001 Cryptopsy had perfected the death metal transition riff, musical elbow pieces which were their finest feature and the finest of any band at the time. I was just starting out writing my own death metal and wanted to make songs that were all such elbow pieces— like every successive metal generation, to take the things further than my favorite bands had. And Then You’ll Beg provided a big part of the blueprint. “Mother-fucker take a bite of the poison.”
Spencer Prewitt of Archspire (Season of Mist)
“I had just graduated grade 12 and had already heard None So Vile and I liked it. When I first heard And Then You’ll Beg my friend came over when I was having a party at my mom’s house. I was totally blown away because I had never heard anything so extreme in my life.
I listened to that album hardcore for like the next five years straight after that. I remember seeing Cryptopsy play around town and the next two weeks after that show I couldn’t stop thinking about how crazy they were, how fast they were, and how precise they were. And that’s when I really started getting into drums. Flo was my new god.He really pioneered this style of extreme playing.”
Dylan Dilella of Pyrrhon (Willowtip Records)
“I’ve always viewed And Then You’ll Beg and “Whisper Supremacy” as companion pieces. The way that they evolved so abruptly and tastefully between none so vile and the disalvo era is still so impressive to me. On paper it probably shouldn’t have worked – they subbed in “tough guy hardcore vocals” (I know that’s reductive) and cleaner guitar tone & production. Also they really upped the speed and precision, but again, in a compelling way (not just for the sake of doing it).”
Rob Wharton of Cognitive (Unique Leader Records)
“And Then You'll Beg” is such a sick album. Mike Disalvo is so pissed off sounding, and there is just so much intensity on this album. Flo is my favorite death metal drummer ever, and keeps things so creative and intense at all times. And one of the all time riff lords himself, Jon Levasseur, his last album before departing the band, leaves with us yet another amazing landmark album for extreme metal. Cryptopsy is sheer intensity with some of the hardest hitting grooves on the planet. Songs like "And Then It Passes… " and " We Bleed"…. I just can't say enough good things about this record. I'm so glad to exist in the same timeline as Cryptopsy, a band with a timeless discography.”
Antonio Freyre of Serocs (Everlasting Spew Records)
“You hear that? That is the sound of one of my favorite albums of all time. And Then You'll Beg is an underrated gem full of secrets and details that reveal themselves after a few plays. It's not only that brutal train which hits you in the face as the album opens. It's a collection of little passages and branching riffs, complex rhythms and extremely smart ideas that makes this a timeless album. It doesn't age. It's one of the albums that have inspired every song I've ever made. Absolute masters. Also dat “We Bleed” solo.
Craig Peters of Deeds of Flesh (Unique Leader Records)
“As I was growing up and getting into extreme music, Cryptosy was one of those bands that caught my attention very early on. I remember hearing the song "Cold Hate, Warm Blood" and was pretty blown away. Even though I'm a guitarist, I've always wanted to be a drummer and Flo Mounier really takes that band to a level many other bands weren't taking it in those days. And Then You'll Beg is one of those classic Cryptopsy albums that has a little bit of everything including groove, punishing blast beats, experimental elements, and loaded with aggression. Even 20 years later those songs still hold up to this day!”
Jeremy Turner of Unmerciful (Willowtip Records) & ex-Origin
“The 1st time I ever heard Cryptopsy was when I saw them live when we (Origin) opened up for them on the Death Across America in 1998. I grabbed Whisper Supremacy right then and there.
When And Then You’ll Beg came out, I grabbed it as well. That beginning, “You hear that? That is the sound of inevitability,” the Matrix sample, I thought was cool. The Origin debut came out with a Matrix sample as well.
We toured with them, Candiria, and Poison the Well in support of ATYB. We started in Rochester, NY, and ended in Seattle, WA. Watching them every night for a month was awesome. I got along with Mike and Flo the best. We actually stayed with Alex while we were in Montreal for a couple of days. It was a great tour.”
Tommy Mckinnon of Akurion (Redefining Darkness Records) & Conflux, ex-Neuraxis
“And Then You'll Beg…..everything you need to know is in the title. Seldom has an album, death metal or otherwise, laid waste to the mind with such power to crush. The music seems superhuman and every song squeezes you like an ethereal vice, leaving you begging to feel like a mere human again…”
Daníel Máni Konráðsson of Ophidian I (Season of Mist)
“Albeit discovering ‘And Then You‘ll Beg‘ a few years after it came out, the sound and feel of this album had a huge impact on establishing my perception of death metal and really embodied all the traits that felt alluring within the genre at the time. The unhinged creativity of ‘‘None So Vile‘‘ was still prevalent, but now with bigger songs and production. The understated melodic elements they sneak into their songs, as well as the Levasseur solos, are some of my favourite elements from this record.
We enjoyed the privilege of sharing the stage with Cryptopsy a couple of years back and got to know the guys (which led us to working with Chris Donaldson on our new album ‘Desolate‘). These legends absolutely kill live and are truly among the best of dudes.”
Enrico Schettino of Hideous Divinity (Century Media)
""Whisper Supremacy" left a mark in me like very few other records, so my expectation for the new Cryptopsy album back in late 2001 was feverish. And… then… it came. That intro, back in the time when intros meant something (I recognized Agent Smith's voice immediately), then the TRAIN of sound came. Courtesy of Levasseur, Langlois & Flo. What a start. Cryptopsy were the inevitable truth right in my young death metalhead's face: "Me boss, you not". Then Mike DiSalvo's voice, tight and recognizable like I expected. Cryptopsy were part of that unbelievable season of death metal renaissance witnessed in the year 2000 together with Nile, Hate Eternal and Dying Fetus. After that train passed, nothing would ever be the same."
Yegor of Fires In The Distance (Prosthetic Records)
“…And Then You’ll Beg” was one of the first death metal records I got into. In the early 2000’s, I was just starting to fully immerse myself into the death metal world and this album was absolutely monumental for me. I think I was a sophomore in high school back in 2002 when I first heard it and it immediately crushed me into the ground. At the time I was listening to a lot of Deicide and Napalm Death and somehow this album felt like it surpassed all that stuff. DiSalvo’s raw, caustic vocal style felt perfect for the music and the technicality of Auburn and Levasseur’s playing still blows my mind after all these years. As complex as it was there was still a melodic side to it all, and I think that’s what really drew me in, especially on ‘Shroud’. The entire record has an undeniable organic sound and feel, which is something that’s few and far between nowadays, and an aesthetic that I really miss hearing on a recording. Arguably still one of my favorite Cryptopsy records."
Eli Litwin of John Frum (Relapse Records) & Knife The Glitter
“This was my first Cryptopsy album, and it completely splattered my brain. It was the most extreme music I had ever heard, and I couldn’t even get past comprehending the first three tracks for a couple years. The drums, riffs, solos, structures, and neck snapping tempo shifts are all just so unbelievably punishing. It really fits the album cover. There is an almost constant feeling that this runaway war train is about to fly off the tracks, and there we are, tied to them.”
Julian of Benighted (Season of Mist)
“When ‘And Then You'll Beg…’ was released in early 2000, I remember that it was Liem (ex-Benighted guitarist) who brought this album to the Benighted rehearsal so we could listen to it while drinking beers after and damn… we were all shocked by the amazing violence of their music ! We were and still are all huge Cryptopsy fans! Flo's drumming for example is soooooo extreme and only very few drummers could bring such an intensity! It was mind blowing! I still have the CD at home but it has been listened to so many times that it's really damaged now! Ah ah! My personal fav song in this album is ‘Shroud!’”
Nick Miller of First Fragment (Unique Leader Records)
"…And Then You'll Beg" to me is the pinnacle of the Mike DiSalvo Era. Obviously Whisper Supremacy is the reigning classic with a lot of songs in current rotation in the set but to me, the modern Cryptopsy sound was established with this record. All the elements that make up a good Cryptopsy record balanced perfectly and really solidified a signature Cryptopsy songwriting style.The dissonance and chaos mixed with the insane tempos, super heavy riffs, virtuoso drumming and pummeling vocals all blended perfectly on "…And Then You'll Beg."
Doug Moore of Pyrrhon
“I can't say I have a whole lot of stories or anything about that album but I did listen to it a lot when I was getting into technical DM as it was the "new" Cryptopsy album at the time. I think for me it's mostly notable as an early example of complicated death metal with vocals that are more hardcore-inspired, which is something I ended up doing some of myself as a vocalist later.”
Tobi Morelli of Archspire (Season of Mist)
“I remember receiving Cryptopsy’s And Then You’ll Beg as a Christmas gift from one of my sisters back in 2001, which was just a couple of months after its release. Cryptopsy was already my favorite Death Metal band at the time so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this album and as suspected it did not disappoint.
From start to finish this album blew my mind and my eardrums. Everything from the production to the songwriting, even the artwork, it was all perfect. This is probably the only Death Metal album to add a didgeridoo to the music and it surprisingly worked. It was as if it was replicating the sound of a train while playing over blast beats, full-on brutal guitars, technical bass playing, and aggressive vocals, it was genius.
Whoever is familiar with this album and the artwork will know what I’m talking about. I felt like the whole train theme that continued throughout the album was a symbolic statement of their music. To me, Cryptopsy symbolized this massive train going non-stop down the tracks at full speed and the listener was the target. The music didn’t just hit hard, it smashed right through you.
This album made a huge impact on me (no pun intended), it was extremely inspiring and terrifying. As a young guitarist listening to this album religiously, it inspired me to tune my guitar down to B standard, combine melodic and brutal riffs together to create the “best of both worlds” style riffs, and write Death Metal breakdowns. Cryptopsy’s And Then You’ll Beg definitely raised the bar on what could be done within the genre and it will always hold a special place in my little Canadian Death Metal heart. I feel really honored to have been asked to contribute my thoughts and express what this album has meant to me. Happy 20th anniversary to Cryptopsy’s And Then You’ll Beg."
Ilya of Imperial Triumphant (Century Media Records)
"And then You'll Beg is really one of the quintessential Cryptopsy records. To think that it's been 20 years and there have been few bands that compare proves how unrelenting the music truly was. Particularly performances by Jon and Flo really resonated with me as some of the best forward-thinking death metal. What I think is so great is that it isn't technical for the sake of just being complicated but rather for the sole benefit of the music's intended purpose."
Simon Hawemann of Nightmarer (Total Dissonance Worship Records)
“I was lucky enough to predominantly discover Death Metal through Canadian bands and it's pretty safe to say that CRYPTOPSY was actually my very first exposure to Canadian Death Metal. The iconic spoken-word intro that leads into 'And Then You'll Beg' gives the absolute hell that breaks loose right after it all the more impact. I was in my mid to late teens when I heard it for the first time and it tore my face clean off.
The furious mix of Technical Death Metal intricacy, borderline chaotic compositions, and DiSalvo's Hardcore style vocals made Cryptopsy sound like the absolute hardest shit ever to me at the time. It always seemed to me like it was a bit in the shadows of 'Whisper Supremacy' but today I find myself listening to 'And Then You'll Beg' a lot more. Either way, Cryptopsy and this album led me down a path of discovering some of my favorite bands of all time, including Gorguts, so I have a lot to thank them for.
Every fan of this era should make sure to check out Coma Cluster Void, which features DiSalvo on vocals and is some of the most insane Dissonant Death Metal you will ever hear.”
Chris Bradley of Beneath The Massacre (Century Media Records)
“And Then You’ll Beg has been a huge influence on my style of riff writing. It’s probably one of the extreme metal CDs I’ve listened to the most, especially in the early 2000's, when I started learning and playing metal. I remember listening to certain parts on repeat, just trying to comprehend what was actually going on. Even after relistening to this album over 20 years later, it’s still as extreme as it was on my first listen. It has its own unique sound that hasn’t been successfully replicated by any other band. To anyone that is into extreme metal who, for any reason, hasn’t heard this album, I would highly recommend checking it out!”
Stace Fifield of Blindfolded and Led to the Woods (Prosthetic Records)
“I was first exposed to Cryptopsy at the age of 15 in 2001- shortly after “…And Then You’ll Beg” was released. “None So Vile” was the first album that caught me, but the follow-ups “Whisper Supremacy” and “…And Then You’ll Beg” are without a doubt, iconic releases shaped by Mike DiSalvo’s ‘tough’ style vocals. Lord worm was a hard act to follow but I consider Mike DiSalvo’s work on …And Then You’ll Beg, and Cryptopsy as a whole, one of my greatest influences for my own vocal styles. And of course, we cannot go past Flo Mounier’s drumming, which for me is a benchmark in Death/Grind/Tech circles. His explosive style and unrelenting aggression have constantly inspired me to think about drums differently. I raise my glass to this album, Mike DiSalvo, and Cryptopsy as they celebrate the 20th anniversary of “…And Then You’ll Beg”.”
Andrew Hawkins of Baring Teeth (Willowtip Records)
“And Then You’ll Beg’ is an extremely important album for me. I first heard it when I was 18, and it completely changed my perspective on what death metal can be. It has such a unique mix of brutality, technicality, and melodicism: I’ve never come across another album like it. I love hearing these guys push themselves to the limit and create that ‘off the rails’ feel that is signature Cryptopsy. It’s especially refreshing to hear the album today when every bedroom project can cobble together flawless performances. On ATYB, Cryptopsy wasn’t afraid to keep the imperfections that make it such an exciting listen. And Jon Levasseur’s solos are unreal and mini-epics in themselves. His solo in ‘We Bleed’ is my favorite solo of all time in any genre. I wish I could play like that!”
