The Skull Defekts Bring Hellish Soundscapes On Final Album "The Skull Defekts"

Any truly angry rock or metal sounds like it comes from one place: hell. That's exactly where The Skull Defekts sound like they recorded their new - and final - album. The Skull Defekts bring hellish soundscapes on their final album The Skull Defekts, channeling the strongest of the anger into experimental and otherworldly tones.

The unquestionable chaos in The Skull Defekts helps amplify its horrifying atmosphere. 'Clean Mind,' perhaps conflictingly, has the most anger of any song on the album, with Trent Reznor (Broken era, that is) type vocals atop roaring riffs. It feels almost like the sound of trying to fill an infinite room with the sound of tortured screaming, with plenty of power to support it. The slow and evil movement of 'Slow Storm' it almost tantalizing in comparison, its daunting sluggishness causing a sense of dread and even a bit of paranoia.

While The Skull Defekts make sure that their final album isn't going out on a weak note, they weren't afraid to take risks, either. There's plenty of different vibes in each song throughout the album that help it stay fresh while maintaining its hellish anger. 'The Dance' has a riff that feels just like that: as if it were dancing, with a bit of funk and a bit of drive to it. Closing track 'The Beauty Of Creation and Destruction' has a riff that's almost funky, and is definitely a bit more discursive than the giant and eerie track that precedes it, 'A Message From The Skull Defekts,' which, perhaps ironically, is an instrumental. From start to end, with the tribal, visceral drums and damning noises of 'A Brief History Of Rhythm, Dub, Life, and Death,' to the end, The Skull Defekts maintain creativity along with emotion, making sure they don't waste any time to go out with a bang.

The sounds of hell are undoubtedly horrifying, but they also come with an important reminder: there's things within us that haunt us and scream within us that perhaps sound just the same. The Skull Defekts bring hellish soundscapes on their final album The Skull Defekts and end it all off with a big, angry bang. There's power and raw emotion in there, as well, perhaps, some hope.

Favorite Tracks: Clean Mind; A Brief History Of Rhythm, Dub, Life, and Death; A Message From The Skull Defekts

Least Favorite Track: Powdered Faces

Rating: 78 / 100

Stream or buy The Skull Defekts on Apple Music, and follow our 2018 Playlist on Spotify: