SKELETHAL — Unveiling The Threshold (review)

SKELETHAL — Unveiling The Threshold album cover Album · 2020 · Death Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
Time Signature
Emerging from the depths of death...

Genre: death metal

You know, sometimes you just want some punch-you-in-the-face and no-questions-asked death metal. And, when you feel like that, Skelethal are the guys to see.

Their 2020-release "Unveiling the Threshold" is a lesson in the power of old school death metal. Rich in brutal riffage and awesome thrash-derived drumbeats, the album kicks your butt from beginning to end. The bottom-heavy production that seems to fall somewhere between the Stockhold sound and the Florida sound, both of which were prominent on the scene in the 1990s, only only makes things even better. The compositions are not overly complex but not simplistic either. Each track contains several riffs and sections, and high-tempo sections are effectively juxtaposed with midtempo moshing-friendly passages. In addition to the thrashy drumbeats, blastbeats are also incorporated, some of which seem inspired by Mike Smith of Suffocation fame, while others are your more standard type of blastbeat popularized by Napalm Death ex-drummer Mick Harris. On top of that, there is even some very cool ride bell work (as heard in 'Repulsive Recollections'). While I really like all tracks, I would say that 'Cave Dwellers' is my favorite, as it explodes into a chaotic sounding blastbeat section and then morphs into an almost crusty-punky affair with grindcore overtones. Nice!

Fans of old school death metal must not miss out on this release. It's perhaps not particularly innovative, but it's still fucking awesome!
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BitterJalapeno wrote:
more than 2 years ago
Nice review. I really like this one. It placed fairly highly in my AOTY 2020.

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