I said on another review that the experience of musicians can lead a band to two different ways: it will be a great work, or it will be a loss of time. In the greater part of time, we have a good work in hands, but on other occasions, we all have to swallow a great and disgusting frog. Strangely, the Greek quartet SOULSKINNER really stays near a midway between a good and a bad work on "Descent to Abaddon", their new album.

All the members are experienced and known musicians in the Greek extreme Metal scene, with names as THOU ART LORD, ROTTING CHRIST, NIGHTFALL and others on their musical curriculum. But their Old School Death Metal is likewise many bands from the past. Obviously, bands as DEATH, CANCER, ENTOMBED, UNLEASHED, DISMEMBER, ASPHYX and SINISTER can be named as sources of their influences. But we have moments when they seem like any other Death Metal band in the middle of many with nothing different to show, but on others, their personal shine appears and turns led into gold! Yes, this is the main idea we have with this album.

The sound quality is raw and harsh, like those from the past, but not turning their personal work into a fuzzy sound mess. No, we have enough sound clarity to have the clear idea of what they are doing, and they have an aggressive and heavy sound to make their songs sound as aggressive and nasty as they want and their musical work needs. On one side, we have a band that sounds like many others did in their past. Songs as "Fracticide", "Soul of Death" and "Murder" are common songs of common Death Metal acts, what does not honor their musical past.

But on other side, these guys show fine moments, as on the long and slow "Nemesis" (excellent guitar riffs with some melodies arising during the solos, and really good work from bass guitar and drums), the hooking tempos and nasty vocals of "Chorus of the Initiated", the fast and brutal attack perpetrated on "True Bliss", the nasty Hardcore influence on the riffs of "A Spectral Vision" and the bitter slow tempos and great guttural grows on the somber "Descent to Abaddon" really make the difference, because they are excellent songs that honor a lot all they had done previously on their past bands.

Then with all of this in hands, we can say that the final result is really good, but with them handing the right cards next time, they can create an epic album. For now, "Descent to Abaddon" is a really good experience.