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SKELETONWITCH released their second full studio album with Prosthetic Records, Breathing the Fire, on October 13, 2009. I could not resist the Metal temptation and need of picking up this new CD on my visit to f.y.e. today. As I stood there staring at the hellish and downright evil artwork on the front cover of Breathing the Fire, it dawned on me… the Metal wait is over for this new Skeletonwitch. Yeah, very often enough I want my Metal pretty damned fast and extreme in every musical facet. All twelve songs on this album are extremely worthy, I can’t point out any skip overs whatsoever. Skeletonwitch does not fall short of Extreme Metal – every song on Breathing the Fire is blended with the very best of several Metal genres.

Skeletonwitch brings forth the Thrash Metal attack combined with Old School Speed Metal, adding Death Metal and Black Metal influences just for great Metal measure. With all of these incredible Metal genres explored here, Skeletonwitch is a Metal band that I cannot pigeonhole into one genre. That is fine with me, I am sure Skeletonwitch could care in the least as well… Metal is… Metal. Breathing the Fire is one incredible Metal album to look back upon for 2009, it is like the late season, supercharged and extreme power blast of Metal Music that has set my Metal world ablaze. I always say, that with Metal bands like this, it makes me feel confident knowing that the flag for Metal will be waving high for years to come. Chance Garnette on lead vocals is as mean and talented as I could hope for – his dual Death Metal growls and Black Metal screams are what this music is about. Anyone familiar with Extreme Metal should agree, that this style of Metal was not meant for crooning out the ballads. Chance Garnette gets my Metal horns with thunderous praise. In my Metal opinion, Skeletonwitch can play, it’s not the easiest task to make an album of this Metal genre sound like a standout.

The guitar leads, dual leads and solos have a melodic, Old School – Speed Metal appeal, while never taking away from the overall dark mood of any of the songs. The rhythm section holds everything together like a vice and these songs grip my Metal psyche with pure Metal domination. I once read a professionally paid Rock critic write – melodic and heavy do not coexist… uh, they do. The Metal proof is in actually listening to Skeletonwitch and Breathing the Fire… the rest is Extreme and at times, melodic Metal candy for your ears. To extract each song and dissect it here would be nonsense, the overall themes to know are that these songs are about death and submitting to evil. ‘Nuff said. Ah, Metal. I will state, Blinding Black Rage is as horrific, evil and nightmarish of a song lyrically that I have ever heard. Ah, Metal… Extreme Metal, I love this stuff. This is the new generation of Extreme Metal, take it or leave it… I’m taking it. If you are looking for the current Metal that is happening now, take my advice and give Skeletonwitch – Breathing the Fire a thorough listen… it served me right.

Skeletonwitch as they appear on Breathing the Fire:

Nate “N8 Feet Under” Garnette – guitars

Chance Garnette – lead vocals

Derrick “Mullet Chad” Nau – drums

Scott “Scunty D.” Hedrick – guitars

Evan “Loosh” Linger – bass

Track Listing For Breathing the Fire:

Submit to the Suffering

Longing for Domination

Where the Light has Failed

Released from the Catacombs

Stand Fight and Die

The Despoiler of Human Life

Crushed Beyond Dust

Blinding Black Rage

Gorge Upon My Soul

Repulsive Salvation

Strangled by Unseen Hands

… And into the Flame

This entry was posted on October 14, 2009 at 10:11 pm and is filed under Album Review, Black Metal, black metal 2009, black metal albums 2009, collecting heavy metal albums, cool album covers, creepy album covers, current black metal albums, current black metal music, current death metal albums, current death metal music, current extreme metal albums, current extreme metal music, current heavy metal albums, current heavy metal music, current metal albums, current thrash metal, current thrash metal albums, current thrash metal music, Death Metal, death metal 2009, death metal guitarists, death metal music, death metal vocalists, essential death metal albums, essential heavy metal albums, essential metal music albums, essential thrash metal albums, Extreme Metal, extreme metal bands, extreme metal music, extreme metal music albums, extreme music, Heavy Metal, heavy metal album covers, heavy metal albums 2009, heavy metal music, heavy metal music 2009, Heavy Metal Reviews, melodic death metal albums, melodic death metal music, Metal, metal music, metal music today, metal odyssey, Metal Reviews, Music, new thrash metal albums, scary album covers, scary rock music songs, spooky album covers, spooky metal album covers, thrash metal 2009, thrash metal music, thrash metal today with tags Album Review, black metal music, blinding black rage song, breathing the fire album 2009, chance garnette vocalist, Death Metal, death metal albums, death metal music, derrick "mullet chad" nau drummer, evan "loosh" linger bass guitarist, extreme metal albums, extreme metal music, f.y.e., Heavy Metal, heavy metal album review, Metal, metal albums 2009, metal music, metal music 2009, metal odyssey, Music, nate "n8 feet under" garnette guitarist, scott "scunty d." hedrick guitarist, skeletonwitch, skeletonwitch breathing the fire album, skeletonwitch extreme metal band, skeletonwitch heavy metal band, Thrash Metal, thrash metal music. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.