Review Summary: Masterfully closes Skeletonwitch’s well-loved blackened thrash period while simultaneously opening up new sonic territories to explore in this and future releases.
Very few metal albums have had me awaiting their arrival this year with as much enthusiasm and high expectations as
Skeletonwitch’s
Devouring Radiant Light. Compared to other young bands from the early and mid-2000s thrash revival wave,
Skeletonwitch has been one of the few current groups that has managed to channel its influences from various metal styles into something actually interesting instead of a dumbed down, miserable cartoon of the genre. Although their love for old school metal has been palpable in their sound from day one,
Skeletonwitch’s instrumentation and songwriting lean towards a darker and cleaner soundscape – sometimes approaching the black metal side of thrash – so as not to be categorized on the same dreadful “pizza thrash” label as their peers.
Skeletonwitch’s sound is mean, vicious but always highly tuneful, this being a unique approach to relentless and pummeling thrash metal through a melodic lens (via their energetic riffs and dazzling guitar harmonies) that brings to mind both traditional heavy metal and the somber, wintry feel of European melodic death/black metal. This wide range of influences makes up for a different yet highly compact and accessible brand of blackened thrash, reminiscent of past metal eras, but which could also be considered its own sound. In general, each album from 2007’s
Beyond the Permafrost to 2013’s
Serpents Unleashed carried the same sound throughout. However, while the band’s formula proved to be a success and contributed to a fairly enjoyable discography, it was also somewhat of an ‘interchangeable’ nature on an album-by-album basis. Therefore, some began to wonder if the Ohio thrashers were capable of anything beyond their three-minute thrash cannon blasts. Thankfully,
The ‘Witch has decided to switch things up with this year’s
Devouring Radiant Light.
The sudden redirection of
Skeletonwitch’s (still in prime condition) raw tools on
Devouring Radiant Light alongside new vocalist Adam Clemans (
Wolvhammer,
Noose Rot, early
Veil of Maya) turns out to be a highly intriguing, successful and ultimately intelligent decision.
Let’s face it, it’s hardly the case that the band’s strengths were only conductive to standard thrash revival fare; this is a band with masterful guitar interplay, a knack for writing solid riffs and tasteful melodic hooks, a variety of harsh vocals styles, all over an incredibly tight rhythm section providing a breakneck pace. These are the ideal ingredients for the kind of black metal that
The ‘Witch pursues on this album.
Devouring Radiant Light exchanges the campy thrashing madness of yore in favor of a cold and feral sense of obscurity in the form of full-fledged melodic black metal, with an emphasis on somber yet enthralling atmospheres, more mid-paced tracks and, best of all, a more involved and dynamic approach to songwriting.
Naturally, the main points of concern would be the longer track runtimes and the new vocalist, though it shouldn’t really be that big of a deal – the black metal shift, rather than feeling contrived or underdeveloped, allows the musicians to showcase newfound skills and virtues in service of some of their freshest, most thoroughly engaging material to date. Contained within
Devouring Radiant Light’s most extensive compositions is a willingness to use lighter touches via slow building melodic breaks and lengthy-yet-soothing instrumental passages, with the band members less preoccupied with what a
Skeletonwitch / thrash metal record
should be and committing more to the atmosphere than ever before. The stellar guitar duo of Nate Garnette and Scott Hedrick provide several carefully placed clean guitar interludes and tasteful mid-paced riff sets during the moments of respite and calm, yet they don’t hesitate to burst forth with their signature black thrash attacks when needed. The rhythm section follows suit, adjusting well to the more subdued, minimalist nature of some of the album’s instrumental breaks – notably the slow, colossal three-minute build-up (!) to the nine-minute stomping monster (!!!) “The Vault” – while still keeping the tempo decidedly fast as on the thrashing “When Paradise Fades” or grandiose finale “Sacred Soil”.
Elsewhere, vocalist Adam Clemans turns out to be the record’s greatest asset, as his delivery displays a confidence and dominant character to a greater degree that had merely been hinted at before on 2016’s
The Apothic Gloom EP. He unleashes in a rougher black metallish bark that keeps up with the intensity throughout, obliterating all doubts and preconceived notions about him as the new
Skeletonwitch vocalist, as the massively powerful screams on lead single “Fen of Shadows” emerge and hit the listener with tons of bite and conviction. His method of vocalizing – albeit still a different approach from the bloodthirsty rapid-fire performances of previous frontman Chance Garnette – showcases equal proficiency to pull off both high piercing barking and (on occasion) throat-ripping low guttural vocals, helping to accentuate some of the album’s fiercest moments as shown on the insanely cruel hooks of “Carnarium Eternal” or the blazing verses of “Temple of the Sun”.
Whilst this newfound focus on longer, multi-part juggernauts would’ve been unthinkable before, there is an unexpected sense of subtlety and restraint in avoiding overloading such pieces with endless instrumental jams or impenetrable nonsense. This results in an overall sound which feels cohesive and retains a consistent atmosphere throughout, yet the variety of slowly developing but worthy passages and ideas prevents the album from blending together stylistically – whether it be the mid-tempo galloping riffs and epic aspirations of album opener “Fen of Shadows” (pure melodic black metal perfection) or the passionate guitar solo of “The Vault”. The album’s title track stands out as the best of the bunch; an ethereal, ‘looping’ clean guitar introduction slowly builds into the cyclical and muscular mid-paced verses, only to be interspersed between fierier and crushing sections with the vocalist constantly switching up between intense shrieks and intimidating, possessed growls to a great effect. Yet for all this endless talk about “maturity”, “progression” and “black metal”, the shorter numbers make it clear that
The ‘Witch hasn’t forgotten how to make effectively hard-hitting riff-fests. “The Luminous Sky” majestically traverses portentous mid-tempo black metal passages before establishing a truly relentless and infectious thrashy groove halfway through, with a punchier ass-kicking delivery than in previous
Skeletonwitch ventures – it comes across as a huge love letter to both old followers and newcomers, and secretly their best blackened thrash metal song to date.
I wouldn’t be surprised if
The ‘Witch gets new fans thanks to this album. There’s no doubt that the Ohio thrashers have come up with a more serious and ambitious statement that stands out both within their discography and in a (
dare I blaspheme!) stagnant and increasingly stale scene such as modern thrash metal.
Devouring Radiant Light marks a new chapter in the band’s history, a bold, fierce and clever reinvention that old followers, previous detractors and newcomers alike should dig into, and therefore a metal release that shouldn’t be precipitately ignored this year.
