▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Excommunicated ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Skeleton Key █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2011 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2017-04-15 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Death Metal ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: UW Records ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ Excommunicated is a young black/death metal act, █ █ but do not be fooled by its recent formation for █ █ the individual members behind the band are all █ █ veterans in their own rights in the Louisiana █ █ metal scene. While most of the members of the band █ █ are/were involved in death metal acts, █ █ Excommunicated, with their debut full length album █ █ Skeleton Key, features a more blackened sound and █ █ it is definitely going to be interesting to hear █ █ what these death metal veterans are capable of, █ █ with their foray into formerly uncharted waters. █ █ The album opens with the obligatory instrumental █ █ introductory track, The Abandonment of Hope, which █ █ fortunately fits the atmosphere and the title of █ █ the album suitably, with the progression of the █ █ rhythm guitars and the almost-sorrowful lead █ █ guitar line at the foreground, breeding an ominous █ █ mood, unlike the many bands that have an █ █ instrumental intro for the sake of it. █ █ With The Incorruptibles, the band wastes no time █ █ with the relentless blasting of drummer David █ █ (also of Borknagar) and black metal guitar riffs █ █ that could easily come out of Finnish black metal █ █ bands like Sargeist. However, the appearance of █ █ vocalist Chad instantly removes all hopes of this █ █ being yet another usual black metal album (which █ █ is certainly a good thing), with his almost █ █ undecipherable low, guttural growls, more fitting █ █ of brutal death metal bands. Chad alternates █ █ between such growls and shrieks throughout the █ █ record, and at times the two styles are layered on █ █ top of each other, providing a fuller sound █ █ effect, raping the ears of the listener without █ █ mercy. Emotions of the songs are displayed not █ █ only through the music but also through the way █ █ Chad sings out the lyrics, such as on Cry to █ █ Heaven, sounding almost like a desperate plea. █ █ Guitarists Jason and Jonathan also experiment with █ █ various styles of guitar playing, such as on The █ █ Incorruptibles, with the extravagant play on the █ █ whammy bar on the solo towards the end of the █ █ track, invoking a scene of chaos. The drumming of █ █ David is certainly a nice touch to Skeleton Key as █ █ he blasts his way through with speed and █ █ precision. The inclusion of numerous sound samples █ █ throughout the album also help to keep the █ █ anticipation up, especially on The Birth of █ █ Tragedy. █ █ What is interesting on the album is the vast █ █ amount of influences that the band has put into █ █ the music, not limited only to black and death █ █ metal. Songs like Cry to Heaven include riffs and █ █ lead guitar lines that could have easily fit on a █ █ folk metal album. There is also the chaotic, █ █ Slayer-esque solo on The Vatican Orgies, filled █ █ with rage and anger. The brutal vocals and the at █ █ times start-stop riffing make it sound more like a █ █ brutal death metal song instead. Chad further █ █ displays his vocal range on Christ's Sword, █ █ leaning more towards a punk/thrash metal shout at █ █ times, yet at the same song the solos feel more █ █ melodic death metal-inspired. But fans of black █ █ metal fret not, as the black metal influences are █ █ constantly present on the album through the █ █ generally cold and bleak riffing guitarists Jason █ █ and Jonathan. █ █ Also, to ensure the full experience of the album, █ █ the lyrics are a necessity, with thought-provoking █ █ lines written by Chad and many references that █ █ show that the band has indeed done their homework █ █ and is not here to just scream brainless █ █ blasphemous lyrics. █ █ Despite the quality of the music on the album, █ █ there are few riffs that actually left a mark and █ █ impression on me, resulting in the listener having █ █ to go back to the album repeatedly to refresh the █ █ memory of what Skeleton Key sounds like. Don't be █ █ put off by this though, as repeated listens have █ █ proven to be fruitful with new discoveries with █ █ each new listen. █ █ █ █ --- █ █ █ █ After the Louisiana black/death metal veterans █ █ Catholicon disbanded in 2009, vocalist Chad Kelly █ █ decided to form new band together with Jonathan █ █ Joubert and Jason McIntyre, former members of █ █ Louisiana death metal bands Despondency and Suture █ █ respectively. For the recording of debut album, █ █ which was named "Skeleton Key", they've invited █ █ David Kinkade, current drummer of Borknagar, as █ █ well as such notable guests as Andy LaRocque and █ █ Vincent Crowley, whose names are definitely known █ █ to anyone who is not new to metal. So, as you may █ █ guess, with such a line-up the approach to the █ █ recording process had to be quite serious, and █ █ this undoubtedly can be noticed in the sound and █ █ production quality. The approach to lyrics writing █ █ was no less serious, and in the booklet one can █ █ find a lot of interesting information about █ █ crusades, inquisition, Vatican orgies, and other █ █ dark pages of the history of Catholic Church, █ █ which are the main themes of this conceptual █ █ album. █ █ But now let's go back to the music. The death █ █ metal past of band members definitely shines █ █ through the whole album, but they try to add █ █ variety of influences. The music varies from █ █ straightforward Florida-style brutal death metal █ █ to more technical and/or melodic parts to some █ █ darker, "blackened" passages, from fast blasting █ █ rhythms to mid-tempo to watered-down slow parts. █ █ Melodic solos, samples of Christian chants, some █ █ keyboards, vocals that range from deep growls to █ █ almost clean onesà Yet the whole jumble sounds not █ █ much convincing to my ears. It just looks like an █ █ attempt to combine the latest tendencies in █ █ extreme metal in order to create "successful" █ █ album with some notorious guests to draw more █ █ attention. Some things like whispers and clean, █ █ almost rapping vocals look simply stupid and out █ █ of place. █ █ This album is for teenage metalheads, who are the █ █ main target audience of mainstream extreme metal, █ █ but not for someone who is looking for thoughtful █ █ piece of art with feelings and atmosphere. The █ █ booklet turned out to be the most interesting █ █ thing here, as there's nothing new and original in █ █ the music itself. For me this album is nothing but █ █ 45 minutes of empty riffs, solos and growls. █ █ █ █ --- █ █ █ █ Louisiana is generally a territory most associate █ █ with the sludge and doom scene, but when I read █ █ that Excommunicated balanced a hybrid of black and █ █ death metal, I admit I was expecting a direct █ █ parallel to the sound of their statesmen █ █ Goatwhore. Instead, they are actually quite █ █ versatile, and I can hear everything from thrash █ █ and grind to the advertised death and black (the █ █ last through only a handful of riffs and snarled █ █ vocals, admittedly). The lyrics and titles would █ █ seem to suggest a sacrilegious leaning akin to █ █ many extreme metal acts out of the US, but the █ █ sound they've pinpointed is distinct enough that █ █ they could call it their own, even if it does █ █ occasionally spread the quality of their debut, █ █ Skeleton Key, somewhat thin. █ █ Variation is the crux of their ability, and thus █ █ one should not expect any two tracks here to sound █ █ precisely the same. For example, "The █ █ Incorruptibles" begins as a rather average melodic █ █ black metal passage, then peters out to brutal █ █ death metal with a hint of grind. "Cry to Heaven" █ █ flows from an eerie folk/blues intro to a warm, █ █ almost majestic mix of pagan metal bombast and █ █ post hardcore threads, while the double bass █ █ hammers away underneath. "The Vatican Orgies" has █ █ a more technical bent to it, with intricate and █ █ catchy riffing cycles and bloodcurdling vocals. █ █ The array of weaponry at display is formidable, █ █ and the competence in both drumming and guitars is █ █ unavoidable. Excommunicated have also seen fit to █ █ adorn their compositions with all manner of █ █ surprises, like the atmospheric bridge of "The Sum █ █ of Life's Pain" with its doomy drawl and drifting, █ █ dark pianos. The use of vocal samples, chants, and █ █ stylistic segues leaves a more novel and complete █ █ impression, a well rounded experience. █ █ Skeleton Key also benefits from a clear, yet █ █ punchy production that capitalizes upon the █ █ obvious proficiency of the band. Clear without █ █ seeming over-polished, they keep their time well, █ █ and the various outside influences on the music █ █ are mixed seamlessly into the froth of extremity █ █ and groove. The one real element that stymied my █ █ enjoyment was that the riffs, as acrobatic as they █ █ are, are never all that memorable. A few █ █ exceptions, like "The Vatican Orgies" or "Keys to █ █ the Kingdom of God" do exist here, with a taut and █ █ penetrating notation, but the lions share of the █ █ tracks don't quite sink in. That said, they always █ █ keep the composition busy enough that you don't █ █ have much time to actually dwell upon this fact, █ █ and the band's myriad talents and compounding of █ █ metallic sub-genres surface more than not. █ █ Skeleton Key is an experience of which the █ █ components all possess a precedent, but the █ █ precise fashion by with the Louisiana quartet █ █ formulate them into a bludgeoning, writing whole █ █ is distinct enough for those seeking something █ █ both punishing and clean. The potential here is █ █ staggering, even if this debut doesn't hit all the █ █ marks of a classic. █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ 1. The Abandonment of Hope 2:06 ░ ░ 2. The Incorruptibles 4:55 ░ ░ 3. Cry to Heaven 6:28 ░ ░ 4. Minutes of the Corpse Trials 3:56 ░ ░ 5. The Vatican Orgies 4:18 ░ ░ 6. Christs Sword 7:17 ░ ░ 7. When Death Claims Its Most Righteous 3:53 ░ ░ Dead ░ ░ 8. The Birth of Tragedy 4:58 ░ ░ 9. Keys to the Kingdom of God 3:43 ░ ░ 10. The Sum of All Life's Pain 3:18 ░ ░ 44:52 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░