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 popular bands from the mid and late-2000s thrash revival wave,
Skeletonwitch has been one of the few current groups to channel their influences into a sound of their own, instead of a dumbed down, miserable cartoon of the genre. Although their love for old school metal has been palpable from day one,
Skeletonwitch’s instrumentation and songwriting lean towards a darker and cleaner soundscape so as not to be categorized on the same dreadful “pizza thrash” label as their peers.
In general, each release from 2007’s
Beyond the Permafrost to 2013’s
Serpents Unleashed carried the same modus operandi throughout. That being, a highly compact and distinct approach to blackened thrash through a melodic lens (via their energetic riffs and dazzling guitar harmonies) that brings to mind both traditional heavy metal and the wintry feel of European melodic death/black metal. While this 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 raw tools alongside new vocalist Adam Clemans (
Wolvhammer,
Noose Rot, early
Veil of Maya) turns out to be a highly intriguing and intelligent decision.
Let’s face it; it’s hardly the case that their strengths were only conductive to standard thrash revival fare. This is a band with masterful guitar interplay, a knack for writing tasteful hooks, a variety of harsh vocal styles, all over an incredibly tight rhythm section. These are the ideal ingredients for the musical direction that
The ‘Witch pursues on this project.
Devouring Radiant Light exchanges the campy thrashing madness of yore in favor of a feral sense of darkness in the form of full-fledged melodic black metal. The end result displays an emphasis on somber 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 in service of some of their freshest, most thoroughly engaging material to date. Contained within
Devouring Radiant Light is a willingness to use lighter touches via slow building melodic breaks, with the band members less preoccupied with what a
Skeletonwitch record
should be and committing more to the atmosphere than ever before. The stellar guitar duo of Nate Garnette and Scott Hedrick provide several clean guitar interludes and mid-tempo 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 nature of the instrumental passages – notably the colossal post-metal-esque 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 surprise, as his delivery displays a 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, best exemplified on lead single “Fen of Shadows”. A beautifully spun and heavenly lead guitar introduction gives way to a portentous build-up before the vocals kick into gear, his massively unhinged screams matching the composition’s epic aspirations with tons of bite and conviction. His method of vocalizing – albeit bearing little resemblance to the rapid-fire performances of previous frontman Chance Garnette – showcases equal proficiency to pull off high piercing barking and (on occasion) lower, throat-ripping growling. This helps to accentuate some of the fiercest moments, as shown on the insanely cruel hooks of “Carnarium Eternal” or the blazing verses of “Temple of the Sun”. The latter, a take-no-prisoners approach on Second Wave-styled black metal, also fares greatly in its inclusion of epic-sounding clean-sung chants during its bridge, being the only instance of such vocalizations on the entire album.
Whilst this newfound focus on multipart juggernauts would’ve been unthinkable before, there is an unexpected sense of subtlety in avoiding overloading these pieces with recycled thrash riffs or impenetrable nonsense. This results in an overall sound which retains a cohesive feel, yet the variety of highly rewarding ideas prevents the record from blending together stylistically. The title track stands out as the absolute highlight, mixing classic
Skeletonwitch melodic flourishes with the aforementioned mid-paced riff sets, channeling an imposing force never heard before. The song features an ethereal, ‘looping’ clean guitar introduction that slowly builds into the cyclical and chugging verses, interspersed between ferocious sections where the vocalist constantly alternates between possessed shrieking and intimidating growls to 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 passages before establishing a truly relentless thrashy groove halfway through, with a punchier ass-kicking delivery than in previous
Skeletonwitch ventures. It comes across as a huge love letter to the blackened thrash genre, and secretly their best
black thrash attack 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 statement that stands out both within their discography and in a (
dare I blaspheme!) stagnant and increasingly stale scene such as modern thrash metal. This stylistic volte-face comes at a price; they’ve grown as musicians, with their old blackened brilliance morphing into an entirely different beast. Nonetheless,
Devouring Radiant Light marks a new chapter in
Skeletonwitch’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.
