I know this review is about a year over due, but I felt that it was about time someone gave this band a little publicity. SKINLESS is a bone crushing, head stomping, gut ripping and explosive New York based death metal band. Yes, I know many of you are rolling your eyes, yawning and muttering a litany of "well duh, everybody knows who they are," but bear with me for a second- this article is for the poor and unfortunate souls who have yet to experience the majesty and grandeur that is SKINLESS. I myself only discovered SKINLESS about a year ago with the release of 'Trample the Weak, Hurdle the Dead.' I was in the parking lot after a local metal show in Houston. I was chillin on the hood of my friend's car when all of a sudden a thundering goodness came bursting out of his car's speakers… it was SKINLESS' last album, 'From Sacrifice to Surival' and boy was it groovy. That same flesh ripping goodness permeates every riff and nuance of their newest album (even though it's a year old now.)
'Trample the Weak, Hurdle the Dead' combines elements of death metal and grindcore to produce SKINLESS' signature sound. Running just over 30 minutes, 'Trample' takes you on a bumpy ride through a battlefield of gritty, sweeping guitar riffs, booming double-kick bass drum driven songs and frighteningly intense vocals. This album also features SKINLESS' characteristic song introductions. From "War… it's fantastic!" to a quote from the film Patton, these audio clips add another extreme element to the mix. Anyone who is a fan of real, gritty, no-holds-barred death metal or grindcore will love SKINLESS. And for those of you who are already SKINLESS fans and haven't picked up 'Trample the Weak, Hurdle the Dead,' what the hell are you waiting for? You remember what your first SLAYER concert felt like, or the adrenaline induced feeling of your first mosh pit? That's what this album sounds and feels like. Buy it, love it.
