Review by Faithless on March 2, 2020.

Coming from the ancient catacombs of Greece, Soulskinner performs a very solemn and somber death metal style on their 2014 release Crypts of Ancient Wisdom. Evolving from a 3-piece on their first record, Breeding the Grotesque, and a 4-piece band in their second one, Non-Stop Killing, Soulskinner seems to be like a good bottle of wine, as its ages tastes better. I have to say that I did not enjoy their first two records as I did with their third one, let´s find out why.

Crypts of Ancient Wisdom is a duo effort that really caught my attention because of its solemn and somber approach of death metal. This album reeks death all over from the cover art (designed by Mark Riddick), the lyrics and the sinister music performed by Bill (guitars, bass and songwriting) and Gothmog (vocals and lyrics). Breeding the Grotesque and Non-stop Killing were directed towards a gorier focus, average death metal performance and horrible drum programming (at least in their first record). I wanted to hear something more bleak and obscure. That's why I really enjoyed Crypts of Ancient Wisdom, this record gives you all the grimness and more.

The intro kicks with some acoustic guitars that are beautifully played but behind the beauty there is sadness and uncertainty, a metaphor of life disguised in ominous strains. 'The Captive Trojan Maiden' hits you with a straightforward Hellenic death metal style. No references to U.S.A and Sweden death metal, no blends or mixes here or even references to big death metal bands. The music is moody and atmospheric, it drinks from genres like doom and old school death metal, but not specific bands come to my head to compare with. I think Soulskinner has developed their own sound here. For instance, 'Life a Bane', 'Our Greatest Curse' and 'Deadland Part 2' are testimonies of a unique style that crushes your soul as you listen the solemnity of each song.

Lyrics are very mysterious and are based or adapted on writings of classical Greek poets and philosophers like Euripides, Sophocles, Agathias and Sappho. The lyrics are reflections of war, life and death, fitting perfectly with the concept of Crypts of Ancient Wisdom. For example, “The thin edge between life and death, colder by the hour, more dead with every breath” is a philosophical passage in the song 'Our Greatest Curse' that depicts what the lyrics are about. The fact that Soulskinner evolved from gory topics to these more thorough lyrics is a plus to the album and differentiate them from other bands.

There are many highlights in this record, for example, 'Deadland Part 1', 'Deadland Part 2', 'Our Greatest Curse' and 'Why Shrink From Death' are relentless songs that balance different moods and atmospheres. From fast tremolo picking guitars to melodic passages and crushing ambiences. I would say and I don't want to sound pretentious here; that Soulskinner has this Hellenic death metal sound that makes them different to other bands in the genre. Plus, their lyrical concept is also a very regional approach that refreshes the genre from clichés and repetitive acts. I´m looking forward to listening to their latest album called Descent to Abaddon to see if they continue in this gloomy fashion.

Rating: 8.8 out of 10

Review by Alex on July 8, 2020.

Having lost track of the band after hearing their debut demo following the departure from their old name, Cemetery Whore, Rites of Daath managed to reunite with my memory through Godz Ov War Productions. The band has had a long time to think about what they want to do precisely with their soul sucking style of death/doom metal, and you could only imagine that by now they have assembled a megalith to be proud of. It is with utmost pleasure and elation I signal to all the arrival of their highly anticipated full-length album after three years of silence, Doom Spirit Emanation.

At the time of receiving the material I had been listening to Ahab's "The Call of the Wretched Sea" and thought, hmmm, should I interrupt this funeral doom metal monsterpiece just to check out some new band's effort. Turns out, that 'new band' spoken of was Rites of Daath, so proceeding with caution and respect I asked the gods of metal to forgive my spontaneous divergences from a funeral doom legend to something lost on my radar for some time now, (to the point I could not even remember the effect of Hexing Graves).

A reintroduction to something I picked up roughly 3 years ago and could identify the merit and mileage held within a real reward for sacrifice. And from the first notes played on 'Doom Spirit Emanation', like a stroke of divine insight, it occurred to me why my interest in Rites of Daath was so great. An amassing of sounds gave way to a Grave Upheaval-esque concomitant. A stillborn flame fed and fanned till its incandescent glow became a thing threatening to munch-to-bits the mass of nearing entities. Its motion, stoned at first glance, yet with time would evoke a scholastic conduct telling of the band's musical bravura.

Opening track 'Doom Spirit Emanation' arrives with steam and a ritual cloaked throbbing under the restless pulse of distorted guitars that play with theatrical semblance whilst possessing that morose thickness and heavy density Polish bands often have. Yes, this is very much death/doom but not as slow as you would imagine given the scampering manner in which the music is played, like an embodying of the artwork seemingly depicting some sort of expulsion, there is an urgency attached to the instrumentation that puts the listener in an uncomfortable position when trying to piece apart, predict and question Doom Spirit Emanation's mobility given the black metal styled drumming and guitaring-(at times).

Same can be said about 'The Accursing Tongues' and 'Shrines of Seclusion', though some instances of doom metal actually occur, the black metal drumming often reemerges as one of the more dominant aspects of the record. The vocals have the gestures of a Temple Nightside through its cavernous undulations utilized on 'Primeval Depths of Chaos' (that is for me the best particle on Doom Spirit Emanation), whilst the riffs are handled and played like the foretelling of fermenting peril. Flourishing with many tempo fluxes and for the first time a real lengthy death/doom passage that lifts and leads the music into a section reminiscent of Ellorsith's "Exposure to the Elements" (drum wise), 'Primeval Depths of Chaos' transforms the album into a thing of indefeasible iniquity.

Doom Spirit Emanation is quite the surprise after such a lengthy season of silence. Another win for Poland and more-so, Rites of Daath, hence displaying the excellence of their productivity on their most advanced piece of work.

Rating: 9 out of 10