Review by Carl on October 16, 2026.

2026 has been quite the year so far. On top of the usual shit like war and other assorted disasters, the Grim Reaper has also come for L7's Jennifer Gardner, Tim Curry, Lou from Sick Of It All, Dolly Parton, and Rose Tattoo's Angry Anderson, and all of this while we are all seemingly groovin' our way towards armageddon. Good thing that this year also saw the good people of Dying Victims Productions releasing Skumstrike's second full-length assault on mankind, providing a much-needed soundtrack to the end. Wheeeee!!

After an intro that sounds like an evil cackling witch starting up her lawnmower, Skumstrike let loose with their punked-up take on thrashing speed metal with a smoldering blackened edge to it. As on their first full-length, the boys in the band do not pull their punches as they rage through their volatile concoction of grinding speed metal riffing fired on by battering percussion. The foot is pressed firmly on the gas for the majority of this album's runtime, oozing demented punk-fueled energy out of the wazoo, with only the occasional midtempo part to allow for a brief moment to take a short breath. Imagine a cross between Kreator's "Endless Pain", the first two Hirax albums, earliest Whiplash and Hellhammer, fused together with a generous helping of old-school hardcore punk speed. As you can probably imagine, this is a highly volatile mixture, brimming with ferocious power, only barely contained by the tight execution of the music. Subtle is a word that is not applicable here, that's for sure; in its place we get oodles of blood-curdling frenzy, shoved into our ears with a blatant disregard for personal safety. The rabid vocal delivery and clear and precise production put the finishing touch to this lovely package of speed-drenched thrashing mania, and boy, does this one go in smooth!

Of course, stuff like this isn't all that unique or original, but I feel no immediate need for that type of thing when the music is brought with as much passion and conviction as this is. I'll admit that it's a valid criticism to point out that this album sounds like one long song, but considering the album's runtime of just under 30 minutes, that wouldn't be all that much of a problem, really. I can't imagine anyone into the style getting bored while listening to this.

A solid release, for sure!

Rating: 8.5 out of 10