The fusion of electronic elements with metal is no new idea, whether we’re considering the record scratches used by nu-metal legends like Slipknot, or the more obvious textures modern groups like Electric Callboy employ: the genre combination has often been a controversial one, with critics and audiences alike finding the styles to be an odd fit for one another on several occasions. Despite numerous examples to the contrary— see Korn’s ‘The Path of Totality’— it’s an idea with a lot of merit, when put in the right hands. Bradford’s Rick Walker seems to have just the mitts for the job: the new EP from solo act Neo Cryptid is as solid as they come, amping both its crushing metal riffs and waves of electronica up to extraordinary heights.

Neo Cryptid is a peculiar project, no doubt: a one-man show featuring eight-string guitar riffs and screamed vocals over blaring EDM instrumentals is a tough sell, leaving the wondrous talents of its main man to seal the deal. ‘Agent of Chaos,’ even more than previous EP ‘Animator,’ proves that Walker is up to the task. The performer’s harsh vocals consistently dominate this crop of tracks, bouncing between illusions to Meshuggah’s Jens Kidman and Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe— even in amongst the noisiest and most raucous arrangements, the vocals pierce through with unmistakable purpose and aggression. Much the same could be said for the pummelling guitar riffs, which sound more menacing than ever before for Neo Cryptid (no doubt aided by Ryan Hall’s gripping production). ‘Agent of Chaos’ could no doubt thrive on the strength of its metal essentials alone— the combination of these sounds with blaring synths and programmed drums is that something extra that makes Neo Cryptid such an exciting project.

Of course, that project is still getting off the ground, and we’d be remiss to ignore how much room Walker has left to push these ideas. The clean vocals throughout ‘Agent of Chaos’ aren’t its strongest attribute, hampering the verses of ‘Raveyard’ and ‘Immolate Me:’ though singing is a very natural addition to the Neo Cryptid formula, it’s an element in need of development. The EP’s programmed drums, similarly, stand out as an idea crying out for evolution— even if the project’s percussion fits well into these electronic soundscapes, it’s not an angle producing the most thrilling of results here. The release might have benefitted from the aggression and passion of a live drum recording, or else from more adventurous percussive twists (a-la the experimental offerings of a band like Igorrr)— as is, the artificial kick drums on ‘Agent of Chaos’ feel somewhat distracting, sitting in an awkward middle-ground between the genres Neo Cryptid is attempting to blend.

Really though, these complaints just go to show how promising the conceptual ideas behind Neo Cryptid, as a project, are: when meeting ‘Agent of Chaos’ on its own terms, the tracks here stand as some of Walker’s best. Opener ‘Raveyard’ may kick things off a little sluggishly at first, but the cut nonetheless manages to blast its way through a range of diabolically enjoyable moments— the song’s brutal guitar riffs and boisterous synth lines work in tandem to beat the listener into submission, refusing to take a foot off the gas until every head is banging. The following ‘Abhean Pact’ takes that philosophy a step further, treating fans to a dubstep/djent fusion that hits all the right notes. The track is relentless, sprinting through some of the boldest writing in the Neo Cryptid catalogue— the sounds of Skrillex and Periphery blend surprisingly well here, with every element aiming to be the loudest, heaviest, most brutal of them all.

‘Immolate Me’ and ‘Overlord’ demonstrate the singular focus that comes to define ‘Agent of Chaos:’ this is an EP that aims to make you move, and it has songs more than strong enough to do so. The production stands far above that of ‘Animator,’ bringing all of Neo Cryptid’s best elements into the spotlight— even the moments of ambience that begin to creep in towards the project’s conclusion only serve to provide contrast to yet more hilariously overpowering modern metal chaos. ‘Agent of Chaos’ is not single-minded as much as it is concise, though: ‘Displacer Beast’ breaks up the track list nicely, bringing something much groovier to the EP. It’s a song that could fill both a dance floor and a mosh pit as it saunters between reserved verses and a showstopper of a hook, all with an infectious confidence that makes Neo Cryptid’s latest work so loveable.

‘Agent of Chaos’ is not just impressive for its stunning displays of furious metal and electronica, but for the path it lays ahead for Neo Cryptid: this is an incredibly promising release, improving on 2023’s ‘Animator’ in nearly every respect. Though the sounds Rick Walker is employing here aren’t necessarily fully-formed as things currently stand, the EP is nonetheless a tight and wickedly infectious collection of tunes, capable of standing their ground against even the harshest of critics. On ‘Abhean Pact,’ Walker asks “are you not entertained:” based on how the release has our heads banging, it seems like a silly question.