Skeletonwitch: Serpents Unleashed

One of the most consistent thrash metal bands around have once again flexed proven themselves worthy with their latest release Serpents Unleashed. These blackened-thrash titans have released another album amazingly brutal and blindly fast record that grabs you by the balls from the moment its starts and doesn’t let go until the very end.

What I love most about Skeletonwitch is their versatility. You have Nate Garnette and Scott Hedrick on guitar and have the ability to shred their own arms off, but also play with a lot of subtlety and can generate a gloomy atmosphere with their playing. You have Chance Garnette who kills it on every record both lyrically and vocally and the rhythm section for this band is also incredibly tight and consistent through and through with plenty of groove and certainly no shortage of blast-beats to keep the listeners entertained as they gallop across the plains of hell and back.

One thing I also really appreciate about this band is their desire to change production on every record. Instead of sticking with one solid producer and riding that wave until it’s time to change, they are constantly adapting to new producers as the times change and their music can sometimes be a reflection of that. The production has obviously been extreme and intense on every record and Serpents Unleashed may very well be their most extreme record to date. I think that is mainly because they worked with Kurt Ballou on this record and he is famous for working with Converge, one of the most intense hardcore acts you’ll ever find.

Filled to the brim with amazing songs that are both short, but jam-packed, every thrash metal fan will absolutely love this record.

Luke Helker