Crypta Tears Through Montreal with Their 'On The Other Side' Tour

On Friday night, the all-girl breakthrough death metal band Crypta rolled through Montreal as part of their On The Other Side tour. The power quartet from Brazil is visiting our city for the second time — they were here in September 2024 as a support act and clearly made a huge impression. This time, they sold out their first headline show at Piranha Bar. And as the leaves turn, the weather gets cold, and Halloween decorations pop up everywhere, what better way to kick off the spooky season than to walk down the stairs of Piranha Bar — which always looks like a set from a Rob Zombie movie — for a death metal show?

As I fight my way to the front of the stage before the show starts, pushing through a sea of leather jackets, patched denim vests, and long-haired dudes to catch the first two acts, it dawns on me: this is the first true “underground” death metal show I’ve ever covered. So, I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect. One thing I did know, though, is that Montreal metal crowds are some of the best, most respectful, and friendliest of any genre in the city. Through all the craziness, crowd-surfing, and mosh pits, it really showed. Every single person in that room had each other’s back all night, and it was a blast.

To start the night, local band Burning Sanctum walked on stage into a pool of smoke and red light. Dozens of candles on top of the amps set the scene, as all but the lead singer got ready to play. Ambience synths played while Ethan Dejardins walked in dressed fully as a monk, a huge crucifix around his neck and black makeup around his eyes, ready to deliver songs about doomsday and the end of the world — adding a very dark-fantasy flair to the night. Their riffs are heavy and slow, like hammers smoldering metal — more power than flash. The band started out just a couple of years ago, but they’re beginning to develop a following in the city, with fans headbanging throughout their 30-minute set.

Second on the bill were underground veterans from Granby, QC, Sarkasm. The band leans more thrash than death, and you can clearly hear the influence of Megadeth, Sepultura, and Slayer. I’d never heard of them before, and I was pleasantly surprised by how good they were. After the show, I learned they’ve been doing this since the early ’90s, and their 30-plus years of experience and chemistry really showed. Frontman Bruno Bernier was a highlight of the night. It’s not every day you see a guy, probably in his mid-60s, delivering such powerful, flawless vocals throughout the whole set. And then he stage-dived toward the end, crowd surfing in all white on a sea of black. Truly amazing. The kind of thing that makes you go, “Hell yeah, dude!”

After an amazing set from Sarkasm, I was ready for whatever Crypta had in store. I was taking photos at a venue with no pit, and in another testament to how awesome Montreal metal fans are, I got in front of the stage just by asking nicely. Everyone let me through and even asked, “Oh, where can I see the pics after?” So if you’re one of those people I gave our website to and are reading this, thanks for being so kind.

Around 9:45, the lights went out and Luana, the drummer, walked in and sat at the kit to loud cheers from the sold-out crowd. “Crypta! Crypta! Crypta!” blasted through the neon-filled walls as Fernanda, the frontwoman, and Taina on guitar walked in with fists in the air. If I had to describe Fernanda in a few words, it would be a force of nature. As the riffs of “Aftermath” kicked off their set, it was clear why this band is breaking through the metal scene. They are on another level. The band didn’t just want to play a good show — they demanded energy from every single person in the room. Fernanda kept the crowd hyped non-stop until the floor was shaking. Power stanced as she delivered the piercing vocals of The Other Side of Anger. She would lock eyes with someone in the crowd, drawing you in, holding your attention for a few seconds, before moving on to the next person— a bit of an odd comparison, but like Liam Gallagher in the way she commands attention with a single gesture to the crowd.

Throughout the set, they ripped through the biggest hits from their two studio albums, including “Stronghold,” “The Limbo,” and “Dark Clouds.” The mosh pit only stopped when people started crowd surfing. Again, this was a show with no pit and no security at the front, so it was the ultimate test of trust in the people around you — and everyone was looking out for each other while the women on stage unleashed an absolute assault of power chords.

Even though I’m not usually a huge death metal fan, if I’m going to see any band in this genre, it might as well be a trio of women taking death metal by storm. Coming all the way from Brazil to sell out a venue on the opposite side of the continent is impressive, and I’m sure they’ll be back soon — probably selling out an even bigger venue next time.