Skull Fist - Way of The Road (2018)

Classic speed metal as a genre is not exactly dead, but it certainly does not get a lot of attention these days. There could be several reasons to that, like no new bands taking the leap or no ground breaking records have been made for some time, but I think it is because we as a metal community has grown tired of the genre, which of course hits it hard on the bands that are still active within the genre. I do not think the Canadians in Skull Fist are doing terribly bad, but it has after all been 4 years since their last release, and judging by the album cover of their third effort, "Way of The Road", it seems like their budget has been cut down. No more colorful artwork with that skeleton mascot, instead we see the band in front of their beat down van, hoping for some much needed help to get to the next gig.

Their previous two LPs, "Head öf The Pack" and "Chasing The Dream", were both really enjoyable little speed demons, so it was not too far fetched to expect something similar for "Way of The Road", and we certainly got it. We got the killer double guitar combo that has always worked since the early days of Judas Priest, the vibrant bass that gives the sound that extra oomph, and also some nice high flying vocals that matches the speed quite well. From a quick glance, it seems like "Way of The Road" is standard, good stuff, starting off furiously with "You Belong To Me".

Then we come to the second track, "No More Running", and the band has already lost most of its momentum. It is an okay track overall with a nice melodic aura, but to let go of the gas so soon just does not feel right, and it also feels incredibly outdated, like it came straight out of the 80's. The band gets back up to speed again in "I Am A Slave", then gets immediately back to the sluggish pacing in the following three tracks. It is a roller coaster ride that does not feel very good.

Now, I do not want the band to go completely full speed ahead in the entire record, but if you are going to go for some slower, more melodic tracks, then do them well. "Heart of Rio" is a title that Duran Duran would do, and the music sounds like it could have been from Social Distortion, or any other old band that uses very simple riffing. In other words, not very speed metal like. Then we have "Witch Hunt", which has some neat guitar work in the solo, but it is otherwise a standard cookie cutter metal song that is just dull. I just wished they would have focused on creating more faster tracks, because those are genuinely good, like "Better Late Than Never" and its cool mix of Rainbow structures and Iron Maiden guitars.

The biggest problem with "Way of The Road" is that it feels pretty outdated, both in terms of a Skull Fist release, and as a general speed metal release. It is certainly a fine record overall that can give you a quick 80's fix, but if you are into the genre, you have surely heard albums like this one that are more fun, better executed, and are way more enjoyable. "Way of The Road" is an inconsistent release that does not warrant the 4 year wait, an album that is some rough shape from the get go, kind of like that van the band has. If you want to help these guys out, get one of their previous releases instead, do not bother with this one.

Songs worthy of recognition: I Am A Slave, You Belong To Me, Better Late Than Never

Rating: 5,5/10 Witch Hunts

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Chasing The Dream