There are many newer bands playing old school death metal now days, and Skeletal Remains is without doubt one of these bands who carry a huge influence from the band Death. Which is the most influential death metal band in the history of underground metal music. The Californian deathsters have built their musical foundations upon the classics of thrash and death metal music. The third output entitled Devouring Mortality sees the band evolving towards a genuine state. Ever since the band was formed in 2012 they were reputed as true contemporaries of old school death metal. Skeletal Remains have transformed their musical creation to resemble the authentic sound of 90’s Floridian underground metal. If you listen to their early albums Beyond the Flesh and Condemned to Misery you will grasp the logic behind their musical efficiency. The new album certainly excels over its predecessors and proves that those youngsters understand the core of death metal music.
Opening track Ripperology is swelled with centric riffs and employs excellent distorted dual guitars with tremolo picking. The deep growling vocals are strongly akin to Chuck Schuldiner. Seismic Abyss is deeply rooted with the classics of Spiritual Healing and Scream Bloody Gore. The use of blast beats was beyond my surprise, while the double bass is aggravated like machine gun and the mid-pacing grooves will make you head bang. Skeletal Remains maintains the tempo changes in their songs, engaging into crunchy riffs and swift solos which are plentiful on this record. Chris Monroy’s growls are mesmerizing and they sound like a mixture of Death and Asphyx.
Devouring Mortality is forceful and energetic the riff work and lead guitars are absolutely amazing. The cover artwork was designed by Dan Seagrave while the production was mixed by Dan Swano at Unisound Studio (Asphyx, Dissection and Bloodbath), so rest assure that the newest album is more robust in quality than the previous studio albums. The third track Catastrophic Retribution is instilled with skull crushing tempos, and intense full riffs that sounds extremely insane. The mid-section of this song becomes slow and rotten. The title track of the album is comprehensive in sense of dedication, as the band utilizes all the fierce elements of death metal into this track. The blast beats and the strong composition reflects the band’s capability of boosting vigorous riffs and killer solos.
Torture Labyrinth is one of their best songs it’s induced with impressive level of performance, the beginning of the track is captured with menacing melodies followed by whirlwind solos. The new drummer Jonny Valles blasting skills are noteworthy here. Skeletal Remains competence continues with great measures. Devouring Mortality is loaded with shredding riffs and face melting solos, the grooves are predominating in tracks such as Torture Labyrinth. Grotesque Creation feels like the band has extracted this track from Condemned to Misery album since the guitars are thrashier. Parasitic Horrors and Mortal Decimation are both intense and brutally powered by infectious riffs, the drums shifts between mid-pacing to intermittent blast beats.
Skeletal Remains truly reflect the sound of old school death metal, with the impressive technicality scales which are intelligently incorporated on this album. There are many elements which have been borrowed from Spiritual Healing album. The third studio album is a success to the band’s dedication, and once again the Californian quarter has delivered an excellent album. Devouring Mortality is fast and rotten death metal record, and it feels that it has been brought from the dusty vaults of 90’s death metal era!
Release Date : April 13th, 2018
Label : Dark Descent Records / Century Media Records
Tracklist :
1.Ripperology
2.Seismic Abyss
3.Catastrophic Retribution
4.Devouring Mortality
5.Torture Labyrinth
6.Grotesque Creation
7.Parasitic Horrors
8.Mortal Decimation
9.Lifeless Manifestation
10.Reanimating Pathogen
11.Internal Detestation
