It is shocking that SKELETAL REMAINS have only been a band just shy of a decade now.  That is meant as the utmost of compliments for their track record has proven them to be practitioners of a brand of Death Metal firmly rooted in its Florida, New York, and Swedish (Stockholm, not Gothenburg) roots yet ever looking to the horizon.  At times, one can hear definite Chuck Schuldiner-influenced guitar leads and Trey Azagthoth-derived rhythms.  "The Entombment of Chaos" is the band's fourth LP and is a testament to their collective ethos as warriors of Death Metal.

The first track, "Cosmic Chaos," is an effective mood-setting piece giving an air of the ethereal.  It is clear from the minute the following track, "Illusive Divinity," begins, that the band is intent of pushing the boundaries of brutality for their old school-friendly approach to Death Metal.  The bass drums hit emphatically hard and when coupled with the bass-heavy guitar tone, chugging riffs have an added dynamic range.  This means that throughout the album the band have opportunities to really make certain parts come alive.  "Congregation of Flesh," the third track, is a more varied song.  In fact, some of the parts are, dare I say, more melodic - not in a Melodic Death Metal kind of way, but rather, less intrinsically dissonant.  As a fan of Death Metal for three decades now, I can attest that this more exploratory nature of the sound will not alienate fans.  This has the mixture of polish, maturity, and emboldened creativity to make for an epic album.

What is evident immediately is that the producer knows how to get an effective, solid Death Metal sound.  There is a dynamic to the album that I can only attribute as realism.  That is, that the sound can be extremely compressed, tight, and focused yet when the music needs to breathe, the more open parts give the songs that essential oxygen.  The performance captured for these guitarists is pulverizing.  A full-bodied sound, so to speak, it is incredibly responsive.  Palm-mutes are crushingly crunchy and single note parts do not sound thin.  The percussion parts provide the needed intensity without sacrificing a natural organic source.  As is typical for much of Death Metal, though, the bass is buried in the mix, my only real gripe with the album.

"Tombs of Chaos," the fifth track, has an epic beginning with a thick MORBID ANGEL vibe that leads to a groove-heavy part, an excellent transition.  This is that which all the previous tracks have been leading up to.  That is not to lessen the impressions I expressed about the first three tracks, but as a musician, there are always points in the set to look forward to, natural crowd pleasers.  I'm sure the guys in the band feel that way about "Tombs of Chaos," and especially so when they are allowed to tour in support of the record.  It is simply a more fully realized version of their collective vision.  It is simply an incredibly impressive example of how Death Metal, true Death Metal disregarding the trendy/fringe element, is not only still relevant but also still viscerally resilient.

To sum all this up, SKELETAL REMAINS is a band that has been on my radar for a while though I've still yet to see them live.  It is inspiring to hear a young(er) band breathe new life into the standards created by greats like OBITUARY, GRAVE, and DEATH.  SKELETAL REMAINS, though, does not approach their craft as a band specifically setting out to sound old school.  Instead, these guys obviously were influenced by some of the best of the genre and have committed themselves to carrying the torch.  It is a credit to their imaginations how they synthesized such a sound by taking the best from their influences and, determined not to sacrifice any amount of aggression, created not only a viable, but a fertile path for themselves.  It is that dogged determination and commitment to excellence that makes "The Entombment of Chaos" such a highly affecting experience.  Don't believe me?  Listen to "Eternal Hatred," the ninth track and prepare to have your mind blown.