ALBUM REVIEW: Skelethal – Unveiling The Threshold

French Death Metal titans SKELETHAL are back with their 2nd album of morbid monstrosities. Out via Hells Headbangers Records on November 20th.

Howling winds start off the album with an ambient and creepy touch before bellowing chainsaw riffs and hammering drums forcefully erupt into a morbid cacophony of pure Death Metal excellence. Grooving with a rupturing volatility, the fearsome and doomy soundscapes are much more spaced out and eerie than ever before from Skelethal, adding a huge atmospheric prowess to their devastating aggression. This contrast makes the new record immediately more gripping (although their previous releases are also killer) as they drench you in a rotten sludge that permeates forth from the disgustingly brutal assault. Blending the usual Swedeath worship with some doomy elements and a visceral performance from the whole band, it is clear these French maniacs are back with a lot to offer.

I am admittedly a sucker for HM-2 Death Metal and Swedeath worship. That said, Skelethal are more than a mere throwback act, with a furious display of crawling atmospherics and utterly grotesque battery to add a bit more spice and uniqueness to the mix. Haunting and so damn impactful, there is no question that the passion and fury behind the music is 100% genuine with such a venomous onslaught of savagery that all macabre Metal lovers will fall into its spell of putridity with utter adoration. Ripping through track after track of cacophonous sprawling disdain and phenomenally executed songwriting, we do not see so much as a glimmer of boredom on this rancid record.

Spewing vitriol continues to fester as we progress on through just under 40 minutes of prime-cut Death Metal meatiness. With a monolithic production delivering a storm of filth, there is no questioning the sincere desire to push forward from Skelethal, whom are conjuring a tempest of offal in their marvellously gritty music. With a sound that could effortlessly split carcasses in half, this is certainly just as monstrous as I had hoped for while packing so much more creepiness and spectral nuance than ever before to create a far more mesmerising experience than ever, Skelethal are certainly on route to mastering their devilishly deathly crafts and this album is the largest checkpoint yet.

A crushing and vitriolic new record from an already well-respected band, Skelethal have pushed the boundaries of their HM-2 Death Metal to doomier and more hypnotic territories while losing none of the spiteful bite in the process. This album is a pure monstrosity of all things morbid and gross with a fantastically riveting performance and huge-sounding songwriting to really raise the bar for themselves. Immerse yourself in the horrifically gargantuan sounds and see why Skelethal are so excellent for yourself. -8.5/10