SKELETAL SPECTRE PLAY THE KIND OF METAL THAT MAY REQUIRE A TETANUS SHOT ON TOMB COVEN
Sweden’s Skeletal Spectre proudly sport a certain level of griminess sadly missing in modern metal. And not like that found in muddy death metal production or absolutely depraved lyrical content; nor a recorded-in-a-basement-with-a-sock-over-the-mic black metal variety; nor a glowering, whiskey-soaked doom filth. On their debut, Tomb Coven, the band liberally borrow from crusty old school hardcore, the chunkiest grooves of death metal, and doom’s catchiest plodding riffs to form a positively vile amalgamation that manages to intrigue as much as repulse. With modern death metal’s emphasis on technicality often leading to sadly sterile production and metalcore and deathcore’s insistence on fostering a generation of kids who think who think slickness is more important than songwriting, Skeletal Spectre’s just-barely-giving-a-fuck appeal is a welcome change from the norm, like the Marx Brothers terrorizing a wealthy dowager. Tomb Coven is uncompromising, mean, and filthy, bordering on unhygienic. It’s also a fucking blast.
This is, of course, once you get past the inherent ridiculousness of the band itself. “Skeletal Spectre” means essentially nothing, but more importantly, it’s made up band members with dependent clauses and/or commands for names: vocalist/bassist Behold the Pentagram, guitarist Sacrifice the Virgin, and drummer Haunting the Beyond (which is in reference to…?). The whole thing spells either joke band or ridiculous bunch of dudes who take themselves entirely too seriously. But the refreshing rawness of Tomb Coven makes that a moot point: a wall-to-wall barrage of violently re-imagined death and doom riffs with (sigh) Behold the Pentagram’s midrange gargling adding an extra layer of grime to the proceedings, the album is a goddamn delight for those who enjoy bands steeped in authenticity. The riff that anchors “Burial Ground” sounds like the deformed brother of “Children of the Grave,” while “Amulet of Impurity” sounds like hardcore played by winded fat guys. In an era where everything appears to have been done and done to death, a lot of bands are aping the past. Not a lot get it as solidly as Skeletal Spectre. If Cronos’ back hair had a band, it would be these guys.
Tomb Coven occasionally stumbles in its rawness, though. Even considering the spirit in which the band seem to live, some parts still seem too sloppy for their own good, often due to Haunting the Beyond’s drumming missteps. Maybe future releases will see them tightening their loose screws. But hopefully not too much: there’s something wonderful about presenting a bunch of top-notch metal riffs in the most bare-bones way possible, displaying a simplicity, urgency, and passion that’s often overlooked in the shred-tastic, Pro-Tools edited environment we find ourselves in. Skeletal Spectre’s warts-n-all approach may be a turnoff to some, but there’s some great metal to be found amidst the mess. Those complaining about the murky production are missing the point: why dress a bus station hobo up in a tuxedo if he’s still gonna shit on the floor? One of the odder production decisions is having the rhythm guitar significantly louder than the lead most of them time; it’s a bold statement: the riff comes before all else. Though this may not work for everyone, it sure as shit works for Skeletal Spectre. Behold the pentagram, indeed.
(3 out of 5 horns)
-SO
