Skelethal - Within Corrosive Continuums

Angry Metal Guy

Smelly cheese, extreme horror films, and Skelethal. All things France has given us, two of which I actually care about. Today’s topic is the last of those three. Formed in 2012, this group play a belligerent and unpolished form of Swedish-style death metal, complete with a musty vibe that seems to always come along with being signed to Hells Headbangers Records. One of their early EPs impressed former staffer Al Kikuras; their 2017 debut did not. However, with 2020’s Unveiling the Threshold, vocalist and guitarist Gui Haunting returned with a revamped lineup, an improved production job, and better songs. The result was a wholly enjoyable record that earned a positive endorsement from the almighty Kronos. Now joined by session drummer Ilmar Marti Uibo (ex-Necrowretch), the band are back from the depths with their third album, Within Corrosive Continuums.

Though it’s been four years since their last record, the core of Skelethal’s sound hasn’t changed. Expect drums that almost constantly barrel forward, ragged chords that shuffle around the fretboard, and slobbering growls that spew forth lyrics about some sort of unearthly torment. As before, the most obvious influence is Swedish death metal, though the band’s preference for stomping grooves over melodic riffs makes them sound more like Carnage than Dismember. While the approach is nothing groundbreaking, I do enjoy the earnest execution. First proper track “Spectrum of Morbidity,” for instance, careens forward like a locomotive on fire before hitting the listener with some jabbing notes, while “Mesmerizing Flies at the Doors of Death” rides a quick squirming riff that sounds like a reinvention of the main guitar line from Carnage’s “Torn Apart.”

The biggest difference between this and Skelethal’s past work is what could loosely be called a “progressive death metal” influence. “Spectrum of Morbidity” displays this when a strange riff appears midway through, but the true showcase of this new sound comes with the mammoth title track that closes the album. Clocking in at just under thirteen minutes, this entirely instrumental song employs all sorts of warped riffing and cosmic solos, making it sound like the band were trying to write their own version of the closing track from the last Blood Incantation record. Furthering that comparison, the song even features an extended ambient interlude, presumably intended to give the listener one last chance to take a massive bong rip before some heavy and reverberating chords bring the album to a close.

The progressive influence is a cool new touch, but it doesn’t always work. Take the strange and somber interlude that crops up in “Upon the Immemorial Ziggurat.” While I like this segment, it doesn’t feel neatly integrated into the song. Yet the biggest issue with this record is the same one that, in varying degrees, has always plagued Skelethal. While the band’s scrappy delivery and whiff of Lovecraftian weirdness is endearing, the group simply lack the notable hooks and memorable riffs that would put them higher on the modern death metal pecking order. Simply put, this is a band that’s easy to like but hard to love.

Fortunately, the production works well, with a raw and unkempt sound that presents everything clearly enough without harming the otherworldly atmosphere. The guitars are powerful and dirty, keeping the riffing grounded while giving everything a sense of unrestrained drive. The leads, on the other hand, wail and squeal with a soaring tone that calls to mind later Death albums. I’d also be remiss not to mention how bold the band were in constructing this album. Along with the title track, the opening song “Creation” also has no vocals. This means that two of these seven tracks, that together comprise over a third of the album’s forty-minute runtime are entirely instrumental. It ultimately makes for a record that’s easy to escape into and leave your shitty life behind. Do I see myself adding this to my year-end list? Probably not. Do I see myself listening to this in my basement at 11 p.m. on a Saturday, three beers deep and naked below the waist, with the tip of my weiner peeking out from below my oversized T-shirt? Fuck yes. Take that for what it’s worth, I guess.



Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Hells Headbangers Records
Websites: skelethal.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/skelethal
Releases Worldwide: July 12th, 2024

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