“Though a combative Al Kikuras rightfully panned the group’s debut, this sophomore record introduces a more fleshed-out Skelethal offering something beyond buzzsaw revivalism. After the departure of founding drummer/bassist Jon Whiplash, the band’s other half, Guillaume Zeller, pieced Skelethal back together at twice the size.” Bone collecting.
“Barring pre-Hero Bölzer, I’ve never seen a band without a full-length generate as much passion as Sadistic Intent. The southern California death metal band formed in 1987 and have released little more than four EPs in their career, yet they’re still earning high slots at festivals and seem to be adored by a lot of people. It’s a testament to the quality of their music, I suppose, and I must admit their musty take on early Morbid Angel has tickled my fancy on more than one occasion. Yet their sporadic and limited output generates an obvious demand for more music in the style, and that’s where Infernal Conjuration come in.” Infernal overkill.
“Heavy metal, despite primarily being a possession of what we proudly call the underground, is not impervious to the revisionist proclivity of plucking from the past with genres like re-thrash, Even Newer Wave of British Heavy Metal, occult rock, and currently on the chopping block, retro-Swedish death. 2014’s EP, Interstellar Knowledge of the Purple Entity was my introduction proper to Skelethal and it just about made me turn my Fruit of the Looms into a fudge factory. At just 21 minutes, it was a perfect little window to the days of yore when Entombed and particularly Carnage were all.” The Play Doh Fudge Factory is not as fun as it sounds.
“By now it’s well known throughout the Midwest that this old man is a thrash junkie. A bona fide Gally Thrashicanus. Before putting a thrash album on, my eyes begin to gleam with a wild and ravenous light. But not so much with the new crop of thrash metal bands like Municipal Waste, Toxic Holocaust, and Bonded By Blood, what with their crisp clean high tops and head bands. I like the grit, the grime, the grisly thrash metal of yore.” Old folks like old stuff.
“There is a duality I struggle with any time I have to write a review. As a critic, I listen to an album and try to find the good things along with the bad. As a musician, I know that criticism stings. If you’ve read more than one review here at AMG, you know that we don’t write fluff. We don’t pander to the labels or the bands. It’s our mission to be unmerciful.” Lots of hand wringing and Hamlet-esque internal struggles went into this review. Angst Rating: 9.5.
“Great Scott! Like stepping into a sepulchral time machine, Skelethal have transported us back to when Sunlight Studios was Mecca, buzz saw guitars sounded like a swarm of bees, and vocals were scraped from the depths of the grimiest gutters of hell.” More retro death arrives, unfazed by the giant shadow of Bloodbath. That’s brave.
