As I spend my days casually listening to death metal during afternoon jogs and various self imposed isolation due to that whole pandemic thing, it’s hard to believe there was a time when this music was foreign to me. If you’re reading this, take a moment and think about life before death so to speak. When did YOU first become hooked on death metal? For me, it started in junior high. After a couple years obsessing over Sabbath, Priest, and the other usual suspects, I was introduced to bands like Carcass, At the Gates, and Deicide thanks to the Music Choice metal channel. Add to that my recent discovery of Bathory and I knew there was no turning back from the extreme metal rabbit hole.
The reason I reflect upon this early 2010s nostalgia (besides that it was a simpler time) is because Shed the Skin’s latest album, The Forbidden Arts, evokes the same feelings I get when listening to all of the bands listed. Old school in approach and atmosphere, Shed the Skin is a supergroup consisting of members of Ringworm, Incantation, and Surgikill (just to name a few). Considering all of the members came of age during the golden age of death metal, it’s no surprise they’ve got their sound down to a T.
The Forbidden Arts opens with the ruthless rage of “Skeletal Firestorm”. Right off the bat, I hear a lot of Carcass influence in these riffs. While most Carcass inspired acts focus on their grind era, Shed the Skin zeros in on the Necroticism (1991) days. The riffs are heavy and deadly, yet “polished” by death metal standards. In that respect, there’s a window of accessibility open for those who don’t live by the gospel of blastbeats and gory lyrics.
Another standout quality of The Forbidden Arts is Shed the Skin’s use of melody. There’s slight hints of melody throughout (“Archons of the Final Creation”, “The Moor, the Madness”), though never going full melo death with the exception of “The Laundress”. It’s the same approach that was used by the early 90s Swedish death metal scene before the melo death boom. Specifically, I hear shades of early At the Gates on these songs. Adding to the semi-melodic riffing are flashy guitar solos. You heard me. “Flashy”. How could an old school death metal album boast flashy guitar solos and still be old school death metal? Check out the solo on “Trow of Tragedy”. I rest my case.
Finally, there’s a healthy dose of doom to balance the mid and uptempo sections. Songs like “Trow of Tragedy”, “Necromantic Wellspring”, and my favorite, the mind mangling “Veins of Perdition”, incorporate slow, doom laden riffs to add an extra layer of brutality. Again, here’s a practice that’s as old as Cianide (which some would say is as old as time itself!). That said, leave it to the old timers to properly execute this ancient art upon us naive youngbloods.
Well equipped with the tools of the trade (semi-ironic Carcass reference), Shed the Skin delivers and then some on The Forbidden Arts. Whether you like your death on the melodic side, the doomy side, or the traditional side, you’re bound to find something on here to quench your bloodthirst.
7 out of 10
Label: Hells Headbangers Records
Genre: Death Metal
For fans of: Carcass, At the Gates, Asphyx