Skullovich – Demo II Review: A Dungeon Metal (Thrash/Speed) Metal band from the United States. On March 11th, 2022, the band released their second demo, Demo II. The clashing of blades and casting of deadly spells. Hymns telling tales of darkness. Demo II was promoted through Pennsylvania Music Fan PR.
Skullovich – Demo II Review opens and discusses the FIRST SIN: THE STRINGS/KEYS, which comprise strings of chaos and writing hymns of mayhem
Let’s talk about the SECOND SIN: THE VOCALS, which involves raw and harsh vocals
Moving on to the THIRD SIN: THE PERCUSSIONS, which delves into the vast world of raw and epicus drumming and hard-hitting beats
In our following discussion about the band’s musical work, we will focus on the FOURTH SIN, the overall DISCUSSION of the album. When the listener presses that play button, they are welcome to the opening piece, KEEPER OF FATE. Here, they are welcome to a mixture of DIO/IRON MAIDEN-MEGAMANIUM vibe instrumental opening—following suit with raw vocals.
As one continues their journey with the last three remaining pieces, THE NIGHTMARE and DEATH DEALER, and creates a metal of their own, a style called Dungeon Metal forged by cryptic thaumaturgy in the land of Philadelphia and an ode to all who worship steel.
Soon as the listener reaches further within the dungeon and continues their epic journey, where the music sounds like it was recorded in a dungeon -thus providing and delivering those pure essences of raw/old-school metal heydays to the listener’s ears and three raw-dark epic fantasy/musical tales (sword & sorcery stories; allegories for social issues, personal struggles, etc.) of “POWER, SPEED & DEATH” and envisioning blades clashing and casting deadly spells.
Hymns tell stories of darkness and violence with hidden secrets that explore perceptions of morality. At the same time, the music consists of excellent devilmanship, which utilises various metal genres such as epic metal, heavy metal, power metal, speed/thrash, doom metal, death and black metal and grabs influences from the old dungeon masters as well as warriors in leather and metal -where each piece is composed and arranged conveniently to place at the right moment and enveloped on one raw-energetic and metallic atmosphere of this epic clash of heavy metal and sword & sorcery.
As mentioned before, each song is different -capturing this “flicking through three pages of a short novel” where each story is captured by its sound, influence/elements, genre, tone/mood, and atmosphere and not forgetting the excellent vocal, guitar and drum artistry of strings of chaos and writing hymns of mayhem and epic drumming and raw/harsh vocals interpretation of being the dungeon master -which gives the musical spectrum that extra depth.
Within the musical spectrum, the listener will find (the three songs) KEEPER OF FATE is more melody and thrashy/heavy metal, THE NIGHTMARE goes for the doomy of CANDLEMASS, with some aggression, and the closing piece, DEATH DEALER goes for the faster approach.
SKULLOVICH is an entertaining, raw/underground, loud and epic heavy metal/blackened speed piece.
Not to be missed – fans for extreme/heavy metal, sword & sorcery, dungeons & dragons, Lord of the Rings, Lovecraft, Conan the Barbarian and heavy metal musicians such as BYRON A. ROBERTS (BAL-SAGOTH), HOWIE K. BENTLEY (CAULDRON BORN/BRITON RITES), E.C. HELLWELL (MANILLA ROAD), J. CHRISTOPHER TARPEY (ETERNAL CHAMPION), and more.
I wanted to share our thoughts and MEMORABILIA on the FIFTH SIN. I’m not sure where you begin … a heavy metal/sword and sorcery, D&D fans wet-dream in one! (I love epic/fantasy and heavy metal music; for me, this is love at first sight and a wet dream.)
Let’s discuss the ARTWORK of the SIXTH SIN. The artwork is Old-school/underground, epic, and draws on those early PRG (games)
Finally, the review will close with the last sin, the SEVENTH SIN, the DISRELISH. Since there is nothing to disrelish within the musical world of SKULLOVICH. This concludes the Skullovich – Demo II Review.
Demo II Song-listing:
- Keeper of Fate
- The Nightmare
- Death Dealer
Skullovich Members:
- Chevy McQuaide Jr. (vocals, guitars)
- Tyler Melton (drums)
- Jose Blanco (bass)
- Sean Folk (guitars)
