SKULL & CROSSBONES
“Sungazer”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

10/10

Skull & Crossbones are a heavy metal band from Germany formed in 2019, releasing their debut album ‘Sungazer’ in 2023.

Featuring four former members of fellow German metallers Stormwitch – Jurgen Wannenwetsch (bass), Marc Oppold (drums), Tobi Kipp (guitars), Volker Schmietow (guitars) – alongside Forensick singer Tobias Hubner, Skull & Crossbones launch their career with the heavy hitting, traditional metal filled ‘Sungazer’, ten songs and forty six stunning minutes of old school metal, pleasing old and new fans alike. Delivering unabashed and unadulterated eighties sounding heavy metal, Skull & Crossbones hurtle into sight with (album opener) ‘Midnight Eye’ – and a metal scream at around thirty seconds in, just to let you know you’re listening to a heavy metal album! ‘Midnight Eye’ is a melodic metal march of immense intent, the band planting their collective feet on the monitor, galloping forth at a head bangingly addictive pace.

A barnstorming opener to make listeners sit up and take notice, ‘Sungazer’ powers on with the much harder hitting title song ‘Sungazer’ – a thundering avalanche of traditional heavy metal pouring outta my speakers, your speakers, headphones or however you listen to music! The band are at their most powerful here – bearing in mind we’re only two songs in! Just imagine what the rest of the album’s like? Well imagine no more readers – I’ll tell ya! Highly anthemic and infectious is the direction Skull & Crossbones move in next – ‘Manhunter’ the most melodic offering out of the three songs heard so far. The heaviness belies ‘Manhunter’s highly melodious intent, the band delivering a spectacular opening one-two-three! A one-two-three that quickly becomes a one-two-three-four with the even more anthemic ‘The Invisible Man’. Pounding the ground hard, ‘The Invisible Man’ is gonna shake buildings and crumble walls, the intensity level soaring to new heights. Is this one of the best ever debut albums? Maybe, just maybe!

With its more mellow feel than anything heard so far, ‘Tyrant’s Rule’ has the air of an impending ballad – but thankfully not! The crushing crescendo of heavy metal remains intact as the band up the ante, increase the intensity and deliver good old fashioned heavy metal as it should be! ‘Tyrant’s Rule’ is highly infectious just like every other song on offer, Skull & Crossbones maintaining their exciting entrance into the worldwide metal scene. But then, I’d expect nothing less from the seasoned five-piece on show, every member of the band playing in bands previous to this one. Picking up the pace to become the fastest song heard so far, ‘Nature’s Legacy’ features the iconic gallop pioneered during the eighties by bands such as Iron Maiden, Samson and Saxon – Skull & Crossbones unabashed in their quest to deliver infectious and melodic heavy metal. A quest that continues with ‘Inner Self’, the first thirty seconds or so hinting at the sound of “black” album era Metallica! The guitar tone here is a blend of groove and NWOBHM – the mix a jaw dropping sound that’ll have every metalhead around the world drooling from everywhere. And I mean everywhere!

Taking a turn towards a hymn-like nature, ‘Live Your Dreams’ actually blends anthemic metal with balladry. So while you have a rabble rousing call to arms feel, you also feel a desire to raise lighters aloft and sway from side to side! An incredible blend I’m sure you’ll agree, and one that deserves a standing ovation. And whoa! What a turn of speed – ‘Sungazer’ (the album) exploding in a furious flurry of fireworks courtesy of the fast paced ‘The Drowned’. The fastest song on offer by the proverbial country mile, ‘The Drowned’ is gonna turn every mosh pit into an excited frenzy! Bringing the album to a close, Skull & Crossbones introduce a touch of power metal – the intro for the final song ‘The Traveller’ a perfect fit for any power metal album! And an unbroken barrage of barnstorming heavy metal too! ‘The Traveller’ just as infectious and head bangingly addictive as every other song on offer. A great ending to a very good album, the band delivering a stunning debut!

Overall, a bombastic and highly melodious album of head bang-able heavy metal, ‘Sungazer’ is well worth your listening time – more than just the once too!

TRACKLIST

Midnight Eye
Sungazer
Manhunter
The Invisible Man
Tyrant’s Rule
Nature’s Legacy
Inner Self
Live Your Dreams
The Drowned
The Traveller

http://skullandcrossbones.de/
https://www.facebook.com/skullandcrossbones.Band

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