Some bands kind of blow up a bit and then you don’t really hear that much about them despite the fact their output is still consistent, strange really. Such is the case for Skeletal Remains, when I heard Devouring Mortality back in 2018 it struck me pretty hard and I even gave it a solid 9/10. That said, reviewing is a funny business and whilst that might be an initial reaction it can lead to you not really picking the album up again, and that is the story here. Skeletal Remains are a band of worship, praying to the unholy gods of OSDM and whilst I dipped out on their last effort The Entombment Of Chaos, I’m excited to give them another shot with their latest record Fragments Of The Ageless, put out through Century Media Records.

Straight out of the gate Relentless Appetite does what it says on the tin. An insatiable hunger for Death Metal. Pounding drums and sonic ripping guitars paired with powerful, quite guttural vocals. The whole package is still more OSDM than modern though, so fear not. That said it’s certainly on the heavier side, more akin to Cannibal Corpse, Incantation or Suffocation than the likes of Autopsy or Obituary. Cybernetic Harvest employs much of the same brand of harsh Death Metal, the big impactful riffs really light each song up, but it is dare I say a touch generic. There is one element that I’m really missing here, and that’s a good hook. The sheer force which Skeletal Remains project would be amplified tenfold by the simple usage of a memorable chorus, this kind of Death Metal almost demands it. That said the riffs are often pretty damn tasty, To Conquer The Devout being a prime example. I’m sorry to say though that riffs alone can’t save you, this is a highly competent collective of musicians but something about this album simply doesn’t click. Each and every song just blends into one another without much air of memorability or any particular standout tracks, mere moments of brilliance surrounded by the average.

Verminous Embodiment does give off a bit of that most wanted vocal hook I’ve been wanting so big props there. Ceremony Of Impiety is actually a quite welcome break however, an instrumental, interlude style piece that could maybe feel a touch pointless in a Death Metal record like this but honestly it does actually work, however possibly not quite in the way intended. It gives me time to gather my thoughts and hope the best is yet to come, not reflect on the battering before. Sadly the songs remain the same, I really don’t want to bash this album though because honestly these guys are serious musicians, very good at writing and playing solid Death Metal. If you’re kind of new to the Death Metal underground then I think Skeletal Remains would click without a doubt, but I’m a jaded, been there, done that Death Metaller. Unmerciful is an interesting take at least as it clocks in with a seven minute run time, proving that the band clearly want to explore some more Progressive or even Tech territory. It pays off,, it has much of the same simplistic structure but it’s laced with occasional hooks and a generally impressive groove, maybe the best song on the album? Ending the album with …Evocation (The Rebirth) is a bit sad after such an amazing song, however there are still some good moments to be had much like most songs on the album. Its instrumental presentation is also a good sign of further experimentation from this band in the future. That said nothing punches too hard but it is all generally well written Death Metal.

I feel like Unmerciful is the one thing to take from this Skeletal Remains record, it shows growth, and a passion to potentially start expanding on the original blueprint. As a band Skeletal Remains have so much to give and this single track alone shows exactly what they’re capable of on all fronts. I can’t say that it single-handedly saved an otherwise very standard Death Metal album but it certainly went a long way. More of this please and less of the generic.

(7/10 George Caley)

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https://centurymedia.bandcamp.com/album/fragments-of-the-ageless-24-bit-hd-audio