The Apothic Gloom

With 13 years of activity and five full-length albums released, Skeletonwitch continue to grow and gather followers to their ranks by playing a competent mix of Thrash and Melodic Death Metal, and this year they're back with The Apothic Gloom, their first extended-play since the decent Worship the Witch back in 2006.

The EP begins with the title track, starting in an acoustic and haunting intro that slowly bursts into a classic Skeletonwitch tune full of solos and broken tempos. The mix between the aggressiveness of the double-pedal drumming – which often makes for characteristic Death Metal passages – and the ability to change swiftly from scream to growl by new vocalist Adam Clemans make the song a worthy opener. Follow-up "Well of Despair" punches its way through the speakers with fast and brutal riffs accompanied by yet another great performance by drummer Dustin Boltjes, while longtime and founding members Nate "N8 Feet Under" Garnette and Scott Hendrick rip their guitars with great proficiency. In the middle portion of the song we can clearly see the Thrash influence by the band, which makes the track diversified and fun. "Black Waters" is the grooviest song of the bunch, and while it's every bit as fast and aggressive as the other tunes, is also very unique. The main reason for that is the different sound mix that made the bass lines by Evan Linger louder and powerful. "Red Death, White Light" closes the album at 7:12 minutes long and illustrates well their Amon Amarth influence in the riffs and atmosphere. It also features a small change of pace in the first half and the chorus, going from fast to mid-pace.

The Apothic Gloom manages to hold itself as a good EP release for this year, and while Skeletonwitch may never again reach a level of greatness seen in Beyond the Permafrost, the band should continue to release quality music for many years to come. Recommended.