Once Was Not

{{Infobox album

| name = Once Was Not

| type = studio

| artist = Cryptopsy

| cover = Cryptopsy - Once Was Not.jpg

| alt =

| released = {{Start date|2005|10|18}}

| recorded =

| venue =

| studio = Vortex, St. Constant, Quebec, Canada

| genre = Technical death metal

| length = {{Duration|m=49|s=40}}

| language = English, French, German

| label = Century Media

| producer =

• Sebastien Marsan
• Cryptopsy

| prev_title = ...And Then You'll Beg

| prev_year = 2000

| next_title = The Unspoken King

| next_year = 2008

| misc = {{Extra album cover

| header = Embossed digipack slipcover

| type = studio

| cover = OnceWasNotdigi.jpg

| border =

| alt =

| caption =

}}

}}

{{Album ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/mw0000385885|title=Once Was Not - Cryptopsy - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic|website=AllMusic}}

| rev2 = Alternative Press

| rev2Score = {{Rating|5|5}}{{cite web|url=http://www.altpress.com/reviews/124.htm|title=Give the drummer some--or else|last=Heisel|first=Scott|date=31 January 2006|work=Alternative Press|accessdate=6 June 2009}}

| rev3 = Blabbermouth

| rev3Score = 9/10{{cite web|url=https://www.blabbermouth.net/cdreviews/once-was-not/|title=CD Reviews - Once Was Not Cryptopsy}}

| rev4 = BW&BK

| rev4Score = 9/10{{cite web|url=http://www.bravewords.com/hardwares/1000901|title=Hardwares: Cryptopsy - Once Was Not|last=Perri|first=David|publisher=Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles|accessdate=6 June 2009}}

| rev5 = Chronicles of Chaos

| rev5Score = 8.5/10{{cite web|url=http://www.chroniclesofchaos.com/reviews/albums/2-3956_cryptopsy_once_was_not.aspx|title=Cryptopsy - Once Was Not : Review|last=Azevedo|first=Pedro|date=10 October 2005|publisher=Chronicles of Chaos|accessdate=6 June 2009}}

| rev6 = Stylus Magazine

| rev6Score = B+{{cite web|url=http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/cryptopsy/once-was-not.htm|title=Cryptopsy - Once Was Not - Review|last=Lee|first=Cosmo|date=25 October 2005|publisher=Stylus Magazine|accessdate=6 June 2009}}

| noprose = yes

| rev1score =

}}

Once Was Not is the fifth album by Canadian technical death metal band Cryptopsy.

Once Was Not is the first album to feature original vocalist Lord Worm since 1996's None So Vile, and would be his last with the band.{{Cite web|date=2014-08-25|title=Pardon, Please: The Deciblog Interview With Lord Worm|url=https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2014/08/25/pardon-please-the-deciblog-interview-with-lord-worm/|access-date=2021-05-23|website=Decibel Magazine|language=en-US}} It is also the first album not to feature original guitarist Jon Levasseur (Levasseur does however perform a featured appearance on opening track "Luminum").{{Cite web|last=Islander|title=Jon Levasseur Archives|url=https://www.nocleansinging.com/tag/jon-levasseur/|access-date=2021-05-23|website=NO CLEAN SINGING|language=en-US}}

Unlike previous albums, where Lord Worm's lyrical content consisted of gore, blasphemy, and sex, his lyrics on Once Was Not dealt with topics that affect the human race, such as war, famine, plague, and death.{{Cite web|title=Once Was Not by Cryptopsy|url=https://genius.com/albums/Cryptopsy/Once-was-not|access-date=2021-05-23|website=Genius|language=en}}

A digipak edition was released, limited to 10,000 copies, which comes in an embossed digipak with an entirely gold-ink-printed booklet.

A video was filmed for the track "The Pestilence That Walketh in Darkness".{{Citation|title=Cryptopsy – The Pestilence That Walketh in Darkness (Psalm 91:5-8)|url=https://genius.com/Cryptopsy-the-pestilence-that-walketh-in-darkness-psalm-91-5-8-lyrics|access-date=2021-05-23}}