Following a demo and two EPs, French death metal duo, Skelethal, unleashed their debut LP on Hell's Headbangers this June. Channeling old school American and Swedish death, Skelethal's Of the Depths... pummels the audience with no frills, classic death metal. Don your leather, strap on your bullet belt, and thrash your way through this solid debut LP.

Coming through the speakers like a machine possessed with the spirit of Death Metal Past, Of the Depths... churns, burns, stomps, and grooves its way through nine furious tracks (eleven including CD bonus tracks). Old school, speed driven, tremolo picked riffs work together with pounding drums and grim, thorny shouts to get Skelethal's message across. Mixing classic, Floridian death with the unmistakable Swedish sound, Skelethal crafts an amalgam of old school death that, although new, feels as familiar as a welcoming hug from a loved one. Whether slow, plodding, and melodic, or ripping it up hyperspeed, Skelethal's Of the Depths... always feels comfortable. From the evocative, otherworldly horror on the cover, the song titles, the look of the band, and especially, the music, Skelethal's Of the Depths... is a loving, well crafted, modern take on old school, pummeling death metal.

Of the Depths... is the newest piece of death metal mastery from France's Skelethal. Mastering their craft over the past five years, this duo puts their love of old school death through the paces on this LP from Hell's Headbangers. Any fan of early 90's death metal should do themselves a favor and check out this album.