In the sea of new thrash metal bands the last decade has brought forth, Skeletonwitch remains one of the most distinguishable here in 2011. Gain-y and grainy, the band’s guitar tone itself is somewhat hard to mistake from others. The powerful, gargling black metal growl supplied by vocalist Chance Garnette is surprisingly memorable as well… making the combination altogether unmistakable. That being said, the new songs are just that; new. “Forever Abomination” stands out on its own while retaining all of the previous albums’ best attributes.

At a total length of 32 minutes, the album is a few minutes shorter than the previous two. Opening track “This Horrifying Force” starts out with a few bars of acoustic guitar serving as the album’s intro and becomes a sprawling, mid-tempo melodic black metal rocker (reminiscent of Dissection’s “Reinkaos”) that concludes with the same acoustic guitar. At 4:10, it’s the album’s longest song… and one of the band’s longest as well. The album continues on gaining momentum with each track. Single “Reduced to The Failure of Prayer” starts out with a crash and deep growls over a hammer blast, and continues to emphasize the down beat for a time before the riffs move on and set the song’s pace. The song ends rather abruptly, on lead guitar and at it’s maximum tempo… which makes for a seamless transition into the faster “Of Ash and Torment”. But for the breakdown with its welcomed ringing chords, this song and the next are classic Skeletonwitch thrashers. While the fifth song, “Erased and Forgotten” starts out quick with blasting and tremolo picking… it smoothes out into a melodic gallop at its midpoint before building its speed back up.

“The Infernal Resurrection” is another very interesting moment on the album, as it opens on more ringing chords at a mid-tempo and then displays the band’s comfort at speed… then breaks down briefly and rings those opening chords some more in conclusion. Moments like this one supply a measured amount of breathing room for this album, and surely translate into widening the options the band has for their already immense live set. “Rejoice In Misery” thrashes right out of the gate and maintains a good upper tempo before slowing somewhat halfway through and keeping a brisk melodic pace for it’s spreading guitar lines to ring out fully.

One of the main things that “Forever Abomination” has over the others is how often big, full chords are allowed to ring out. This combined with a more refined drum sound and more polished drumming from new drummer Dustin Boltjes, makes this release overall the most melodic in Skeletonwitch’s discography. This is most apparent in the next and most varied song on the album, “Cleaver of Souls”. It’s latter half is one big breakdown, with all the goods you’d expect from a virtuous metal band.

The last three songs are thrashers, none of which is much of a closer. While the last song, “My Skin of Deceit” has ample slow blasting a-la slower black metal, good pace and a moment of the singing dual guitar leads that fans have come to love this band for… it’s also the shortest on the album, with an ending that’s dry and abrupt. The last two albums ended with singing, sprawling epics… top notch closers. However, they started very differently as well… so while some of us (myself at least) may have been hoping for more of the same, it isn’t enough to disappoint.

All in all, Skeletonwitch has managed to put out nothing but refined music. “Forever Abomination” stands as a good follow-up to the straight-forward “Breathing The Fire” and in my opinion has a fresh feel for the band.

Whenever a respectable extreme metal band releases a new album that doesn’t fully impress me(coughMegadethcoughMorbidAngelcough)… I don’t bother to write about it. In my opinion, these relatively unpopular bands we love deserve only our praises or lack thereof. Plus, there is a horde of metalheads that will voice their thoughts regardless. That being said, anyone reading this has my guarantee that I am impressed with any album I review.

Skeletonwitch has delivered greatness yet again, full of speed and furious as always. The black metal tinge is still strong, and with ample legato in the leads and song-writing that isn’t at all stagnant. “Forever Abomination” is an album that all Skeletonwitch fans should make haste to hear, and all extreme metal lovers should at least check out.

Erik Rutan is a monster. If you for a second thought that he might do anything other than slide, triad and Jedi Grind Pick your face off for roughly an hour’s time… you clearly don’t know his work well enough to have a fair opinion.

Those who know Rutan’s work, will probably never read this… as this is one of the bands they didn’t look for reviews on. I’m writing this blog for those guys. Through and through death metal fans. The same people who saw the last Deeds of Flesh album for what it was, and didn’t force an elitist stance about the lead guitar or the clean production.

I could have easily provided a crash course on everything Hate Eternal and let the lesser listeners see the light… but why bother. They’ll probably side with the poorly written Metal Archives reviews concocted by people who rushed to be the first to have a cop-out opinion on it after listening through twice. I could have explained how this album does differ… and as a whole is the most melodic Hate Eternal installment. The fact of the matter is… I don’t care.

If you have to start a review off with statements like “Maybe I’m just jaded because I’ve heard so much death metal“… You’re full of yourself, and you are no longer qualified to make statements about other peoples art.

Anyone who didn’t like the new Hate Eternal can fuck themselves. That’s my review.

HATE ETERNAL’s album art, track listing, and pre-orders now available for new full-length “Phoenix Amongst the Ashes”

HATE ETERNAL recorded their fifth studio album at frontman Erik Rutan’s own Mana Recording Studios in St. Petersburg, FL with mastering handled by Alan Douches of West West Side. J.J. Hrubovcak has been added as the band’s bassist, alongside the devastating combo of Erik Rutan on guitar and Jade Simonetto on drums.

Rutan: “Phoenix Amongst the Ashes is an album that we as a band worked so very hard on to achieve a record of mammoth dynamic proportions. Jade, J.J and I gave everything we had to make a death metal record that would incorporate a balance of speed, heaviness, melody, and pure power. Every song we labored over to have stand out with originality, individuality and unique creativity. We feel we accomplished everything we set out to do with this album and are very proud of the results; we hope you all will agree…”

The first single off of Phoenix Amongst the Ashes, “Haunting Abound,” can now be heard on the band’s landing page HERE. Erik Rutan comments on the first single; “Haunting Abound is a song that we feel carries the intensity and the vibe of traditional HATE ETERNAL, yet explores new territory with a certain heaviness that has never been presented before in a HATE ETERNAL song. Infusing more dynamics and expanding our sound whilst retaining the integrity and ferocity that fans expect from us. This is only a small taste of things to come upon listening to Phoenix Amongst The Ashes…”

Track listing for Phoenix Amongst the Ashes:
1. Rebirth
2. The Eternal Ruler
3. Thorns of Acacia
4. Haunting Abound
5. The Art of Redemption
6. Phoenix Amongst the Ashes
7. Deathveil
8. Hatesworn
9. Lake Ablaze
10. The Fire of Resurrection

Also available on the landing page are pre-orders.

Artwork was once again handled by Paul Romano (Mastodon, Chiodos, The Acacia Strain, Godflesh, Earth Crisis) who has also created cover art for HATE ETERNAL’s I, Monarch, The Perilous Fight (DVD), and Fury & Flames.

Fans of the band’s trade-mark brand of enormous, foreboding death metal will surely enjoy this year’s installment. Since the band’s formation in 2000, Ulcerate have been slowly conjuring up a somewhat unique sound for themselves. Taking cues from innovators Gorguts and Morbid Angel, they blend a dark and atmospheric tone with serious speed and musical virtue.

Although the record is a mere seven tracks, “The Destroyers of All” is actually the band’s longest record to date. With a delayed yet abrupt start, opening song “Burning Skies” blasts forth and wails the proclamation of it’s arrival. As the song comes to a close, it’s apparent that Ulcerate are still deftly expanding the bleak atmosphere that their music looms over. “Dead Oceans” does its job of casting you out into the abyss that is this record, and “Cold Becoming” follows suit; taking you even deeper. I am unsure if this album is in any sense a “concept album”, but I feel inclined to mention how fond I am of its’ ebb and flow. Clearly a lot of hard work went into this record as a whole, including the order the songs are presented in.

The last two songs are the band’s two longest. “Omens” builds up dramatically for nearly 3 1/2 minutes and then echoes on magnificently. The closing and title track is Ulcerate’s biggest and most epic. I personally feel that it does an even better job of summating the record than it’s predecessor, “Everything is Fire” did for that album.

Ulcerate are not to be misread as a mere run-of-the-mill doom metal influenced death metal endeavor. With many lengthy songs, the band’s long-plays demand your earnest attention. With this record, they have achieved epicness that most bands only dream of. The only band I am reminded of that has a comparable vastness is the German black metal group Zarathustra. I have read fan-written reviews calling Ulcerate a blend of Gorguts, Immolation and Hate Eternal. The fact of the matter is that anyone with an ear for the extreme ought to check out this band, especially for this album.

DREAMING DEAD are proud to announce the addition of lead guitarist Stephanie Pickard. She and singer/guitarist Elizabeth Schall form the most shredding female guitar tandem in metal today.

Pickard studied with Bruce Bouillet and Paul Gilbert of legendary shred band RACER X. She became a Minarik Guitars endorsee at the age of 16. Schall is a Fernandes Guitars endorsee. She will perform at NAMM at the Fernandes Guitars booth on January 14 and 15.

A video of them playing together can be viewed Here.

DREAMING DEAD have drawn comparisons to DEATH, DISSECTION, and OPETH. In April, the Los Angeles-based band will enter the studio to record their new album Midnightmares.

http://www.myspace.com/..dreamingdead

http://www.facebook.com/..DreamingDeadBand

http://twitter.com/..dreamingdeadzabeth

Hate Eternal begins recording fifth studio album!
Hate Eternal is working on their fifth studio album (second for Metal Blade Records) and follow up to Fury & Flames once again at Erik Rutan’s own Mana Recording Studios. JJ Hrubovcak has been added as the band’s bassist and the devastating combo of Erik Rutan on guitar and Jade Simonetto on drums is at work once again. The album promises to be one of the most intense death metal albums of 2011.

Front man Erik Rutan offers the following update: “The band has been locked up in Mana Recording Studios doing pre-production for the past 2 months, finishing up songs that we have been writing over the last year in between tours and albums that I’ve produced, and we feel we have come up with one of Hate Eternal’s heaviest, most twisted, evil, melodic, and insane albums yet.

Rutan himself said:
“It was my goal to expand upon what the band has done in the past, and add new dynamics and twists to the traditional, dissonant Hate Eternal style, yet keep it in the same vein. It took the three of us really pushing ourselves, and digging deep into the essence of who we are as musicians and writers and players to create something very unique and special. We cannot wait for everyone to hear what we have in store. Look out for updates from the studio over the next few months.”

For the Behemoth fans following Nergal’s recent hospitalization, Metal Blade reports:

Nergal Checks in from the Hospital: Bone Marrow Donor Found!
Behemoth frontman, Nergal, reports in from the hospital to give us an update on his Leukemia treatments thus far.

“Hello, everyone! I’m still in the hospital but in quite a good shape so I write to let you know about my health and the further stages of treatment. I’ve been through four planned chemotherapies and have stayed in hospital for over 3 months now. I’ve gone through the whole therapy smoothly, though I also had a couple of difficult moments. All this means I have finished the stage of pharmacological treatment and I am about to start the irradiation and then the marrow transplant. Yes, we’ve found a donor! Having searched for months, the foundation has found a person whose genotype is identical to mine. It would have been difficult to achieve if it wasn’t for the support of so many people. Most of all, I want to express my admiration for Dorota – my wonderful and devoted fiancée. She did everything she could to help me and many other people, regardless of adversities and comments which were often unfair. Your help is invaluable! Thank you! I love you. On behalf of me and all other people ill I thank everyone who registered in the bone marrow bank regardless of origin, skin colour or religion. The concerts for charity have been organized all over the world and people of show business, bands and, most of all, the fans got deeply involved. You are beyond great! One of you made my transplant possible, but remember, your attitude may save many others in need. So I appeal to everyone: don’t stop the madness! The march for victory continues! Horns up!’

Nergal was diagnosed with Leukemia this past July and has been undergoing treatment in Poland since then.

Horns up for Nergal, and send him your positive vibes through the waters of space.

According to chief songwriter, Jonas Bryssling, the new album will be the band’s “best” work thus-far. So far, only rough demo material has found its way onto the internet and into pairs of interested ears. However, the songs are mostly written. Bryssling is quoted as saying: “We have too many songs, and some of them are a tad bit long, 7-10 min each. So we have decided to cut down the amount of tracks from twelve songs to ten. We are now finishing up the last songs, polishing the arrangements and practicing the material.”

Another exciting piece of news Jonas also posted on the band’s Myspace page on the 23rd… is the re-joining of former drummer and recording vocalist for the band’s first two albums, Dennis Rondum. For a short period of time, Matthew “Chalky” Chalk of Psycroptic was handling vocal responsibilities. Although Chalky’s talents are undeniable, many fans (including myself) did not prefer his vocals to Rondums… and are already heralding the news.

Rondum writes:
“I’ve been quite disconnected from the band for a long time now so when Bryssling got in touch with me it felt kind of surreal. But none the less amazing when he started to describe his visions for the next Spawn of Possession record and that he wanted me to handle the vocals for it. Now, mind you, it’s been over four years of silence between us and we parted on a somewhat bad note but that’s in the past. The focus is now on the new material, which Bryssling has invited me to get involved with and after listening to the temp tracks, all I can say is that I’m in for a serious ride. Although my presence have been lacking in the scene I’ve been busy writing and recording with my new band. It’s still all under wraps but hopefully I’ll be able to share it with you in a not too distant future. With that said, I’m really excited to be back in the SoP camp and I can’t wait to join the others to complete what I believe will be a masterpiece of unparalleled proportions. -Dennis”

Currently the band is working out label and studio details for whats to come, and we all must wait to hear more. So keep checking up on Spawn of Possession (they like their myspace) and tell all of your death metal friends the news.

Horns up. \../

This year we have Slayer and Megadeth touring with Testament supporting their “American Carnage” tour, Morbid Angel recording their first album without Pete Sandoval… and Spawn of Possession, Decrepit Birth, Gorguts, Gorod and a few others recording and hopefully releasing new material.

All in all, plenty of news in the extreme metal world. Stay tuned.