Produced by Matt Hyde and the first record featuring new man on the drum stool Dustin Boltjes, Forever Abomination marks a spectacular return to top form by the Ohio-based metallers Skeletonwitch. As the record company says, "Like Satan himself set loose in the hallowed halls of heavy metal, these Athens, Ohio-based headbangers careen wildly through the music's history, gleefully destroying and setting flame to every genre along the way, only stopping at the forefront of today's metal scene to look back and watch that fucker burn -- and then piss on the flames." This is a powerful album and one that I thought they may not have in them any more after a couple of lacklustre albums.
One may be forgiven for thinking that the acoustic intro to "This Horrifying Force (The Desire to Kill)" would lead to a nice, laid back effort that could be played to one's mother. Nope, that's not the case because eleven tracks later it would be not untrue to suggest that Skeletonwitch have pounded the listener's ears into a seething mess of gloop and other unmentionable things such is the ferocity of their attack.
They really do sound like a band reborn and their mix of classic rock riffs and thrash metal is better now than at any time in their career and is reminiscent of the consistently excellent Amon Amarth which is praise indeed.
Track Listing:
01. This Horrifying Force (The Desire To Kill)
02. Reduced To The Failure Of Prayer
03. Of Ash And Torment
04. Choke Upon Betrayal
05. Erased And Forgotten
06. The Infernal Resurrection
07. Rejoice In Misery
08. Cleaver Of Souls
09. Shredding Sacred Flesh
10. Sink Beneath Insanity
11. My Skin Of Deceit