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░ ██ ██ Artist: Skeletal Augury ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Victory of the Holocaust █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2009 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2016-01-15 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Thrash Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Pest Productions ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ Being known for it's tight rules and heavy █
█ censorship over media, Skeletal Augury is one of █
█ the few China extreme metal bands that managed to █
█ catch my attention (besides Ritual Day, the band █
█ that appearead on Sam Dunn's Global Metal █
█ documentary and Tomb Sound, another black metal █
█ band). I chanced upon Skeletal Augury's Victory of █
█ the Holocaust on one of the metal blogs I █
█ frequented. They are also one of the bands █
█ featured on Metal Hammer's April 2010 issue. █
█ On first listen, this band sounds highly █
█ influenced by early blackened thrash metal bands █
█ like Sabbat (Japan). Raw production quality █
█ (without compromising any of the instruments), █
█ fast and thrashy guitar riffing and drum beats, █
█ complete with shrieky black metal vocals. █
█ Skeletal Augury's music and lyrics are highly █
█ influenced and derived from the horror genre. █
█ There are a lot of 80's movie-like spoken parts █
█ (with low vocals narrating a horror story), █
█ telling the story of zombies and vampires, yet █
█ constantly reminding listeners that "It's just a █
█ movie. It's just a movie". █
█ While having spoken parts to let listeners know █
█ its influences are definitely innovative (though █
█ not the first of its kind), the band has █
█ incorporated so much spoken parts that it gets █
█ irritating at times, especially on 5 minute tracks █
█ where the listener has to go through approximately █
█ 2 minutes of spoken parts before getting to the █
█ music. However, while the wait can get irritating, █
█ it is definitely worth it with the music that █
█ comes after the spoken parts. █
█ As I do not actually own the CD (all music were █
█ previewed online), I can't comment on the album █
█ art work and the actual physical product itself. █
█ Highly recommended for fans of old school █
█ black/thrash metal bands like Sabbat. █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ It's fascinating how a cultural context can alter █
█ the face of a very familiar brand of music. For █
█ all purposes, China's Skeletal Augury perform a █
█ black/thrash mix with riffing not unheard of in █
█ the days of early Bathory, or used by many Swedish █
█ artists who held the torch for that sound █
█ (Bewitched, Swordmaster, etc). But there is █
█ something almost intangible about their riffing, █
█ drumming (via machine) and vocals which make this █
█ debut album, Victory of the Holocaust, a █
█ refreshing listen. █
█ The first full-length from this band, Victory is █
█ following up a pair of demo releases from 2008, █
█ and I can honestly claim I've never heard a █
█ Chinese band so evil and well versed in what makes █
█ a good, pissed off thrashing. The band could not █
█ give a damn, they just thrash you with each of the █
█ 8 metal tracks on the album (there's a pretty cool █
█ intro/outro also). The namesake "Skeletal Augury" █
█ transforms through a crisp, punchy old school █
█ German thrash rhythm to some blasting with █
█ bleeding melodies, and then a driving, weird █
█ stream of chords as the drum machine breaks into a █
█ double bass. "From Pagan Flames" uses some cool █
█ samples from monster movies before another ripping █
█ thrasher in the vein of Bathory and Venom. More █
█ samples initiate other good tracks like the █
█ punk/thrash tornado "Black Metal Redrum" and the █
█ bursting "Total Maniac". █
█ The album sounds good for something produced on so █
█ low a budget. Vocalist 'F' has a crumbling, █
█ cracker-filled black rasp which is both cute and █
█ vicious, adding much to the band's riff slaughter. █
█ Even though the compositions aren't original, █
█ there is some evasive quality which makes the band █
█ feel slightly unique. This is the type of record █
█ that would do well by a release through Hell's █
█ Headbanger records, it truly fits the mold of true █
█ old school hostility. █
█ Highlights: From Pagan Flames, Death's Hammer, █
█ Skeletal Augury, Total Maniac █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Intro 1:10 ░
░ 2. Skeletal Augury 3:05 ░
░ 3. From Pagan Flames 4:51 ░
░ 4. Moonbutcher 4:43 ░
░ 5. Black Metal Redrum 3:37 ░
░ 6. Funeral Mutilate 4:31 ░
░ 7. Total Maniac 4:08 ░
░ 8. Death's Hammer 5:22 ░
░ 9. Temple of Blood 4:12 ░
░ 10. Outro 1:38 ░
░ 37:17 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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