Cryptopsy is undoubtedly one of those bands that try their fans fidelity every now and then. Once Was Not shows a continuation of the band's foray into the technical death metal realms and also heralds the return of None So Vile and Blasphemy Made Flesh vocalist Lord Worm. Here we see a band that set out to tackle the worn topic of war in a holistic approach, embodying the topic’s spirit both in concept and in sound. Once Was Not actually pushes the boundaries of death metal with immensely difficult and complex songs that force the listener to dig deeper in every consecutive listen to fully appreciate them. Flo Mounier's performance here is exceptional as usual and Cryptopsy as a band are firing on all cylinders.