SHED THE SKIN - The Carnage Cast Shadows review

 

SHED THE SKIN - The Carnage Cast Shadows

Hells Headbangers Records

SHED THE SKIN are a Cleveland, Ohio Death Metal supergroup who I first learned about in 2018 with their second full length, We of Scorn. I liked em for their music but more for who was in the band. First and foremost is guitarist / vocalist Ash Thomas. At that time I wasn't familiar with him but then I learned more. 

I really learned about this guy from watching a Youtube show where he was discussing his love of Finnish Death Metal and showing off his collection of releases. Not only was it educational but inspirational. Ash Thomas was pulling out releases that I only owned half of. And I admit it was because of that show I updated my Finnish Death Metal collection. 

With that said I also checked out all of the bands Ash Thomas was in. And hell yeah they're all cool like ESTUARY, CORRUPTED MORTALS, THE VLADIMERS and SURGIKILL. But who else is in SHED THE SKIN well there's Kyle Severn drummer for INCANTATION. There's also Matt Sorg guitarist of RINGWORM. And also another RINGWORM alumni with bassist Ed Stephens who's also in the Thrash band VINDICATOR. 

So yeah here we have a US super group playing old school DM and if you think this is an American version of BLOODBATH I'll smack your face with the back of my hand. SHED THE SKIN come off sounding original as hell. They are fucking brutal, dynamic in the riff department and the guitar soloing is actually unique. Ash Thomas gives a vocal performance like a pissed off grizzly bear rudely awakened from his slumber. 

Ya want great fuckin Death Metal in 2025 well then here it is. Eleven tracks that will rock your head, slam pit your body and will destroy your worthless soul. I like this album a lot and I thought their last one, Thaumogenesis, from 2022 was the shit. All hail Ohio Extreme Metal and all hail SHED THE SKIN. Nuff Said!

https://shop-hellsheadbangers.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://shed-the-skin.bandcamp.com/album/the-carnage-cast-shadow

TOWARDS ATLANTIS LIGHTS - Dust of Aeons review

TOWARDS ATLANTIS LIGHTS - Dust of Aeons  

Transcending Obscurity Records




Here's a Italian / English four piece act whose tagline status is that of a super-group. The members of this band hail from such doom acts as PANTHEIST, APHONIC THRENODY and VOID OF SILENCE. Three bands I've never heard of and in light of this release I don't really care. What TOWARDS ATLANTIS LIGHTS have created here is truly epic and important to say the least. That's why to me it's more about standing on your own then what you bring to the table.


Yes epic is the correct term to use here especially when a band opens up their release with a 30 minute long cut. This is funeral doom at it's most auspicious and grandiose. I kinda wonder if it was just that song, "The Bunker of Life", which once completed then the band would be like OK we're done. But hey they added three shorter cuts as well.


All in all this release sets a mile marker on what we see as funeral doom. The songs challenge the listener in their craft. Granted it took a while to get into this release. "Babylon's Hanging Gardens" is minimalist at first but after a while you get the idea of atmospheric levelness verses tension. "Alexandria's Library" at a sixteen and a half minute running time seems to be the only true traditional funeral doom cut on here not marked with specific experimentation. "Greeting Mausolus' Tomb", the shorter track brings to mind contemplation as a spoken word eulogy is heard in the background of a sad soundtrack of grief and doom.


 Funeral doom is a sub-genre that is solely for cult purists. I admit to not being a huge fan. As I turn around to look at my bookcases full of CDs there's a small section devoted to this area of metal. There's around three dozen dinks stacked on that shelf and those titles are all the classics which I enjoy every once in a while. TOWARDS ATLANTIS LIGHTS has risen from obscurity to become this genre's leader in my not so humble opinion. 

https://tometal.com/

https://towardsatlantislights.bandcamp.com/album/dust-of-aeons-atmospheric-death-doom-metal

https://www.facebook.com/TowardsAtl/