Review SKELETAL REMAINS ‘Fragments of the Ageless’

Portland is the home base of a four-piece band that embarked on a journey through the realms of death metal in 2011. The name of the band: Skeletal Remains. The group released their debut album in 2012, followed by three additional full-lengths over the past few years. Now, ‘Fragments of the Ageless’ marks the next step for Skeletal Remains.

‘Fragments of the Ageless’ is as brutal as expected and follows seamlessly after 2020’s ‘The Entombed of Chaos’ and it seems that the crazy times during the pandemic have added an extra bit of energy. The merciless opener ‘Ruthless Appetite’ already indicates that this album is a wild journey that contains nine songs in total. What reaches your ears and mind is raging death metal with deep guttural vocals and frantic solo parts. Combined with massive riffs and a solid groove, the right mixture of elements has been found to create a skull-splitting album.

Remarkable is the length of some of the songs. Except for the interlude ‘Ceremony of Impiety’, which by the way fits perfectly into the flow of the album, most of the songs are close to or over five minutes long. The great thing is that Skeletal Remains manage to keep the thrill of each song alive regardless of its playing time. There are enough twists and variations to give the album a versatility that stays within the framework of death metal, but still creates an entertaining momentum. Especially worth mentioning in this context is ‘Unmerciful’. The four-piece launches into a seven-minute sledgehammer song that slowly creeps into your subconscious, and it’s a hellish grin that gives the song its sinister vibe.

‘Fragments of the Ageless’ is a well-crafted death metal release from a band that has become a stable factor in North American death metal. The new album underlines the status the guys have reached in the last few years and death metal fans will appreciate this new release.