Skeletal Remains – The Entombment Of Chaos

Artist: Skeletal Remains

Album Title: The Entombment Of Chaos

Label: Century Media Records

Date of Release: 11 September 2020

If you class yourself as a fan of ‘old school’ death metal, the kind that shows no mercy, has a dark, claustrophobic atmosphere and which goes on the attack from start to finish, then you may wish to read on…

‘The Entombment Of Chaos’ is the latest offering from Los Angeles-based death metal band Skeletal Remains, their fourth since forming nine years ago, initially under the moniker Anthropophagy. Thank heavens they changed the name as I find their original title difficult to say even when stone cold sober. Skeletal Remains they have become, and theirs is a name that is steadily gaining traction in the metal underground.

The first thing to say, is that the quartet, comprised of vocalist/guitarist Chris Monroy, guitarist Mike De La O, bassist Noah Young, and drummer Charlie Koryn does not apparently care one iota about creating anything particularly modern, ground-breaking or original. The sound that tears from the speakers like a rabid demon from the underworld is rooted in the best traditions of one of the dirtiest and ugliest genres of music that mankind has created. And that means, sinister and foreboding intro aside, that Skeletal Remains are hellbent on bludgeoning without mercy, all who have the bravery or temerity to listen to their music. This is savage stuff, the kind that was spawned a few decades ago by the likes of Obituary, Deicide and Pestilence, to name just a few of any number of salient protagonists.

‘Illusive Divinity’ is the opening proper salvo and it perfectly sets the foundations for what Skeletal Remains are all about. Dirty, heavy riffs that contain a touch of groove and a faint whiff of massively understated melody sit at the heart of the music, around which the drums inject some frenetic blasts alongside a bruising bass, guttural vocals and some swirling, writhing lead guitar solos that wail and gnash with barely-controlled fury. When I say ‘some’, I actually mean loads, as lead breaks litter the album liberally, something that I really like to hear in my death metal.

On first listen, there’s an apparent lack of diversity between the songs, meaning that 48 minutes initially goes by without any appreciation for what each song brings. However, with more listens, the intricacies do emerge, as do the nuances between tracks. For example, ‘Congregation Of Flesh’ becomes a firm favourite thanks to a couple of slower passages that offer up a little variation, as well as dark atmosphere and vague melodic tendencies.

Also in its favour is that ‘The Entombment Of Chaos’ has been given the mixing treatment by the great Dan Swanö, meaning that what could have become an ugly mess of unlistenable extremity, sounds great to these ears, providing clarity without stripping the power of the music, or wiping clean the grit and grime that is such an important part of the output.

The behemoth that’s ‘Tombs Of Chaos’ is a personal favourite thanks to some sounds that are so despicable, they surely must be illegal in most countries around the world. There’s more pronounced melody too, as the guitar riffs are given more room to breathe in places. I’m also a fan of the menacing stomp of ‘Eternal Hatred’ which offers incredible drumming within its intro, as well as an initial riff that reminds me of Morbid Angel and their wonderfully disgusting track, ‘Where The Slime Live’.

To end the glorious torture, we’re treated to a cover of Discarnate’s ‘Stench Of Paradise Burning’, featuring a guest vocal appearance from Carnation’s Simon Duson. It’s a positive end to an album that us brimming with confidence and measured brutality.

If you’re looking for a slice of death metal that sounds both fresh and in the best old-school tradition of the genre, then you could do an awful lot worse than put Skeletal Remains and ‘The Entombment Of Chaos’ at the top of your shopping list.

The Score of Much Metal: 85%