Skeletal Prison is a metal band from Rockford, IL. Despite forming in 2017, the band has only just recently began posting updates. In fact, their earliest update on Facebook is only from July 14th, 2018. Let's consider this band FRESH.
That being said, these aren't just a couple of 15-year-olds just starting a garage band. They're made up of former members of longer-running projects Sleeze (Psychedelic Groove Metal) and Untold Legacy (Melodic Progressive Death Metal). I'm not going to theorize whether those bands are active or what the scoop is there, because I understand that sometimes bands change up. Either way, it seems that Skeletal Prison is standing on its own and the members seem to be enjoying working together. That fun attitude is present in their music, and that's important.
So why am I talking about a band that has literally one demo version of a song recorded? Because they submitted it to my email, that's why! Bands that are willing to put themselves out there deserve a chance too, not just the ones that are able to pay their way on to a big website or a magazine. That's why we're here, and I hope you give this a chance.
SO what's "Obsidian Temple Demo" like? Well first of all it says Demo on it, so let's get the recording quality out of the way first thing. It's not bad. The vocals are a little low, and the bass is a little high. There is a bit of mid-range muffle going on. They're not using sampled drums or expensive mixing software. Does quality matter? YES. However, with a good enough song, it tends to matter a little less. I would like to hear this recorded at a pro studio in the future.
The song starts off with a clean build, reminiscent of Slayer's "Seasons In The Abyss," with eerie chords to start. The bass and drums join slowly. Next, the song properly starts, with a completely new type of riff. This is more thrashy. The vocals come in, which are low and harsh but a good fit for the style of riffing. This song makes use of double bass drums, extended guitar solos, and a cool rhythm section while retaining an eerie dissonant feel. I didn't have access to any lyrics, so it's hard to guess what the song is really about. However, it feels like the subject has been transported to the Obsidian Temple, a place where time stops, and is shown a horrible future of destruction by an evil goddess.
The song is relatively long, coming in over 7 minutes. The changes are distinct and somewhat abrupt, however welcome. It reminds me of Slayer and Death a bit, but with a unique lower vocal style. Definite points for creativity and original style.
I look forward to hearing more from this promising new band, especially studio recordings! Thanks to Skeletal Prison for being good sports and submitting their first demo to 5 Skull Reviews.
"OBSIDIAN TEMPLE DEMO"
Type: Demo recording
Release date: July 29th, 2018
Label: Self-released
How to get it:
Facebook:
ReverbNation:
THE VERDICT:
3 out of 5 Skulls
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