Skullview - Metalkill the World

Release Date: July 30, 2010
Label: Pure Steel Records

TRACK LISTING

1.  Legions of the Star Scroll
2.  The Bruise
3.  Metalkill the World
4.  Behind the Cell
5.  Blind and Unconscious
6.  Defiance, Desperation, Defeat!!
7.  Remnants of the Storm
8.  Privilege of Suffering

Total playing time:  50:41

September 10, 2010

Reviewer: Chris

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*Comments:

Indiana’s Skullview has been kicking around the metal scene for the better part of fifteen years with its traditional metal sound that calls upon all of the positive elements of the NWOBHM scene that we so sorely miss today. After 2001’s terrific effort Consequences of Failure, the band issued one demo in 2004 and was pretty much done with studio work for a while. So here I am, sitting in my dimly lit room, headphones affixed to my aged head and liking the initial feel of the latest release called Metalkill the World.

I like the genuine early Iron Maiden feel to this album; it reminds me of the debut album with a less obstreperous David Wayne singing. Vocalist Mike Quimby Lewis does a fine job not trying to out-sing himself here, even calling upon some early Bruce Dickinson in “The Bruise”. For the old school of that early 80’s sound that crossed the Big Pond and ravaged the U.S. with devastating brutality back in the day, this album digs into that sound and reproduces it quite adequately. There are some definite signs of polish and buffing on Metalkill the World but not so much that it ruins the feel or shines the musical chrome too much. It’s raw in its primitive output and cleaned just enough to make it enjoyable and heavy as hell.

The good thing about Skullview is that there’s little room for pretention or generic sound. The music is what it is and offers nothing but honest heavy metal in the traditional vein. There’s fluidity and fullness to the sound that doesn’t set itself apart from any other band in the genre, but does align itself with some very good company. “Blind and Unconscious” is a high-vocal salute to the Dickinsons and Halfords of the world that is easily my favorite track on the album. I also really like that the bass is present on the album where it’s usually buried and overlooked.  

“Metalkill the World” is a standout track, as is “Behind the Cell” with the latter calling on the old Tytan Rough Justice sound. It amazes me to no end how that old sound long thought lost or dated is making its way back up the greased pole of validity and Skullview’s latest effort was long overdue and well worth the wait.