Anonymous death metal group, Skulltribe, conceal their identities behind cloaks and masks that resemble the cyborg’s evil grin in Terminator. The only thing we know is that they’re on album number three, and they come from the United States. Fortunately, they can let the music do the talking. The thirty minutes of action here pulsate with existential foreboding and a determination to shield the listener from boredom.
Violent palm-muted riffs clatter and clang like marbles crashing against each other in opener, ‘Meditations I’. It’s clear within thirty seconds this is technical music. Tempos change as easily as the seasons in Japan, fingers work through scales, kick drums accent the triplet guitar techniques in rhythmic perfection. Likewise, the finger-tapping and impossible chord shapes dominate ‘Perception’. You might not appreciate the depth of the vocals on first listen. They’re a cross between Dying Fetus and any of the hardcore bands that came out of New York in the 1990s. The drummer’s footwork is stupendous. How does he maintain those sixteenth notes with such precision?
“Life is unpredictable,” roars the vocalist in one of the few moments where the guitars cut out and let the detuned bass speak (see ‘The Human Condition’). Listen how the d-beats carry the rhythm like a hardcore band in full tech death mode. If only the snare hits landed with a force greater than a quiet tap of the table with plastic sticks. It’s one of the few weaknesses of this record, but Portal would be more listenable if they rounded out their structures with the same discipline as Skulltribe. Forget about polyrhythms, the vocal lines are the feature in ‘Hypocrites’ that seem misaligned with the drums and guitars, as if playing catch up. It might not be intentional, but it works. The way the bass and guitar talk to each other in ‘Untouchable’ is just as intriguing. You can even hear ostentatious melody in the verse parts thanks to the luscious chord downstrokes. A strand of traditional heavy metal pomp shines through the darkness if you listen hard enough for it.
They might identify with black metal, but you won’t find any here. ‘Meditations II’ is Deicide in the grip of a djent masturbation with pretensions to locate a hardcore identity in its maze of personalities. Observe how they stitch together the most menacing power chords in ‘Life Is Death’ as if trying to trap you in an existential marshland that can only be overcome with the power of the mind. The surprising thing is how they’re content to stay in the comfort zone here rather than push the boundaries of experimentation.
The two axemen wish they were playing in a jazz-fusion band on the evidence of ‘Unseen’. Asking this quintet to play something with the blues would be like asking a hipster to name their favourite Imagine Dragons album. You assume the death-doom saunter of ‘Nature’s Way’ will reach the four-minute threshold by virtue of its middling tempo, but they show admirable determination to challenge the listener’s expectation. This effort starts as a walk and ends as a vigorous jog. Closing song, ‘The Gift’, cannot decide if it should piss on western music theory or try to rewrite it through finding the most obscure melodies in the abyss. Close your eyes and this could be any song from Morbid Angel’s classic Domination LP from 1995.
It’s surprising how there’s no appetite to learn the identity of the band once the record finishes, yet you can see yourself enjoying their next album. Skulltribe are in that rare positions where they need to continue doing what they do best. The next LP might be the one that defines them.
Kirk Houghton
Verdict
Release Date: 24/04/2026
Record Label: Bulldragon Records
Standout tracks: Hypocrites; Untouchable; Nature’s Way
Suggested Further Listening: Morbid Angel – Domination (1995), Wallowing – Earth Reaper (2023), Resin Tomb – Cerebral Purgatory (2023)