So Long, Cripper, and Thanks for All the Fish!

I have found out about this band a few years ago and I immediately got addicted to their aggressive sound, fast & furious guitar riffs and Britta Görtz's powerful vocals.

^{Foto by Alina Omerbasic}

Formed in Hannover, Germany, in 2005, Cripper play a very modern Thrash Metal, very different from the 80's kind of Thrash (I'm talking about bands like Anthrax, Megadeth, Metallica, Slayer, Kreator, Sodom, Tankard, Testament and Suicidal Tendencies, whose vocalists were known by their high pitched voices.)

Britta Görtz's voice is a sharp contrast to the vocals immortalised by the above mentioned bands.

^{Foto by Katja Borns}

Her vocals are a lot harsher and stronger... and her screaming style is, at times, closer to Death Metal or Hardcore bands than to most Trash Metal bands. Yes, she growls... sometimes.

My personal experience has showed me the best way to check out the quality of a band is through a live performance. On a stage, good bands remain just as good... while bands with a lesser quality tend to crash and burn pretty fast.

Thus, the first video I'll post is a live one. If you enjoy this one, you'll surely enjoy the rest of their songs. Without further ado, here it is... the song... Damocles:

^{Cripper - Damocles - Live At Metaldays 2014}

Incredible how they don't even flinch and simply play through all that pouring rain as if nothing was happening! The fans were also brave enough to stand the whole concert under these crazy weather conditions.

And why not continuing with the theme...? Here's a second live performance, 2 years later, of the song Bloodshot Monkey Eye:

^{Cripper - Bloodshot Monkey Eye - Live at Wacken Open Air 2016}

You can see how the whole band is having fun, which in turn, makes the performance a great one.

Now, for the studio songs...

2012

In 2012, Cripper released a phenomenal first professional Video Clip. A great song, with a very fast pace and the video is a perfect showcase of the members' skills and a great introduction for their Antagonist album:

^{Cripper - Animal Of Prey}

2013

The year that followed, they've released 2 more Video Clips. Also from the Antagonist album, the Video for Totmann is a lot more artistic than the previous one. This song is a bit calmer, but still quite fast and aggressive.

^{Cripper - Totmann}

Shortcut was actually the first Video Clip from the band, which is also the first song from their first album Freak Inside, released in 2007... This is a more professional remake. I love the artistic side of this Video and the music is also excellent. Cripper delivered a very fast paced track, which leaves us hardly any time to breathe. What a nice way to start a first album!

^{Cripper - Shortcut}

2014

At the end of 2014, Cripper decided to release a Video Clip for the last 2 songs from the Antagonist album (2012). God Spoken Prayer ends at 3:07 and Cocoon starts immediately... and it feels like they're part of the same song. What a great transition.

^{Cripper - God Spoken Prayer / Cocoon}

2015

Now, this is where things got really interesting for me. Cripper had released 3 albums already, between 2007 and 2012 but the album Hyëna, released in 2014 is a true work of art, in my opinion.

With songs like like Tourniquet, Bloodshot Monkey Eye, A Dime for the Establishment, Animated Flesh, The Origin, Patronized and my personal favourite, 7" (it's a pity there's no Video Clip for this one), this album was a real addiction for me.

Oddly enough, they've released just a single Video Clip for this album. However, it's a great one. It's almost like a short heist movie. And the song, of course, is ultra fast and intense. Typical Cripper!

^{Cripper - A Dime For The Establishment}

In 2017 Cripper have released their last album... ever.

"Follow Me: Kill!" is the album which they left to the fans before announcing the breakup of the band, on the Summer of 2018.

2017

"Pressure" is the first song of the album... and this is not really a Video Clip, but more like a Promo Video for the album. As usual, you can expect a very fast track, with strong riffs and vocals.

^{Cripper - Pressure}

Later on, they recorded 2 more Video Clips. First, "Into the Fire" was released:

^{Cripper - Into the Fire}

This is what the vocalist Britta Görtz has to say about this song:

"Attention has become such an asset, that it overshadows true meaning and content. Big mouths saying big words, everyone is demanding "Follow Me" in one way or the other.

The ones with the loudest voices seem to get all the attention, while at the same time politicians are blind to what's going on around them - they are following their own agenda, leading us right "Into The Fire".

Metaphorically speaking:

"Let the pigs feast on pigs, raise your own voice instead, make yourself heard - wherever you are on this planet!

Take action and unite against hate, racism and history-repeating!"

And finally "Mother", a more slow paced song... but in contrast, more gloomy and dark than their usual works.

Britta Görtz vocals on this song are beyond amazing. She reaches a low-pitched growl that I have never heard from her, in all of their previous works. Simply spectacular!

^{Cripper - Mother}

• Tomorrow, 15th of June 2018, Cripper will give the first of three last shows, in Rockpalast Bochum, in Bochum, Germany.

• After tomorrow, 16th of June 2018, Cripper will be at C. P. G., in Gent, Belgium.

• And finally, next week, on 22th of June 2018, Cripper will play their last time ever, in the Farewell Concert in Munich, at Backstage

If you can go to any of these three shows, don't miss this chance. You won't have another one.

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Info about the band: Official Site | Last.fm | Wikipedia | Metal Archives

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I hope you liked this - even though I know Metal is a small niche and not fit for everyone.

@trincowski signing out.