Skitzo Hellavator Musick
Mourningstar Records SK1980S-15 August 2002
By Tim Blake
Skitzo has, apparently, been around since the early 1980s. Since I had absolutely no idea of what I was getting into upon first listen, having never heard of them, the band must have never retained more than a cult, underground following. The first thing I noticed about Hellavator Musick is that both the name and album cover are absolutely ridiculous, with a picture of the band coming out of an elevator with evil, grimaced expressions - anything but scary. It made me tentatively curious as to the nature of the music, which was somewhat of a surprise.
The first song, Did that Hurt?, starts with a strange bell sound and accompanying bass-line, before kicking into a grungy metal groove that sounds like Nirvana. Certainly, its a surprisingly catchy song with a likeable sense of humour, competent vocals, and a good groove to it. Its quite a cool track, but unfortunately no indication of the quality of the rest of the album. The next song, Angels Blood , kicks into a high-gear, heavily Slayer-influenced style, with jagged thrash riffs and aggressive vocals. Krystal Deaths Horizon is much the same, but has some infectious leads that put it a notch above. Also of note is a calm midsection with echoey guitars and vocals, that moves into a nice outro of twisting guitar melodies, certainly a highlight of the album. Frozen Dead starts with a death march that leads into more 80s thrash, with a much slower tempo all round. Euthanized Tunnel is a short, curious and random wash of noise. Satans Grave is more of the same; heavily Slayer-influenced in style. The bonus track, Kill With a Vengeance, is a live performance with low sound quality, that probably should have been left off the album.
In reaching an overall conclusion on the quality of this album, it must be stated that these guys put too much effort into emulating Slayer. After the anomalous opening, Did that Hurt? - a commercial grunge song Angels Blood gets the slaying started, and nearly all of the remaining album is pure 80s thrash. To be sure, these guys do actually have their own sense of style; although often sounding just like Slayer, they do not play as incessantly fast, and moments of levity and diversity appear here and there. Also, they are obviously skilled musicians, and play with a looseness and shambling heaviness that will easily get your head-banging if you let it. Skitzo arent pretending to be playing anything other than 80s thrash metal (opener aside) and they achieve what they set out to do. Now, if only they could employ a bit more diversity. If all of the songs were of the quality of the standout, Krystal Deaths Horizon , with its unique song-structuring and inventive riffs, this album would be an absolute classic. As it stands, Hellavator Musick is of surprising quality but lacking in the originality department, eventually feeling slightly monotonous. Also, the bonus track really should have been left off, as it adds nothing to the album. Despite this, I think the sense of humour, kick-ass attitude, and skill that pervades the album make it worth a check-out from people who like Slayer and a little fun in their listening.
7.5/10
Official Skitzo Website
Mourningstar Records SK1980S-15 August 2002
By Tim Blake
Skitzo has, apparently, been around since the early 1980s. Since I had absolutely no idea of what I was getting into upon first listen, having never heard of them, the band must have never retained more than a cult, underground following. The first thing I noticed about Hellavator Musick is that both the name and album cover are absolutely ridiculous, with a picture of the band coming out of an elevator with evil, grimaced expressions - anything but scary. It made me tentatively curious as to the nature of the music, which was somewhat of a surprise.
The first song, Did that Hurt?, starts with a strange bell sound and accompanying bass-line, before kicking into a grungy metal groove that sounds like Nirvana. Certainly, its a surprisingly catchy song with a likeable sense of humour, competent vocals, and a good groove to it. Its quite a cool track, but unfortunately no indication of the quality of the rest of the album. The next song, Angels Blood , kicks into a high-gear, heavily Slayer-influenced style, with jagged thrash riffs and aggressive vocals. Krystal Deaths Horizon is much the same, but has some infectious leads that put it a notch above. Also of note is a calm midsection with echoey guitars and vocals, that moves into a nice outro of twisting guitar melodies, certainly a highlight of the album. Frozen Dead starts with a death march that leads into more 80s thrash, with a much slower tempo all round. Euthanized Tunnel is a short, curious and random wash of noise. Satans Grave is more of the same; heavily Slayer-influenced in style. The bonus track, Kill With a Vengeance, is a live performance with low sound quality, that probably should have been left off the album.
In reaching an overall conclusion on the quality of this album, it must be stated that these guys put too much effort into emulating Slayer. After the anomalous opening, Did that Hurt? - a commercial grunge song Angels Blood gets the slaying started, and nearly all of the remaining album is pure 80s thrash. To be sure, these guys do actually have their own sense of style; although often sounding just like Slayer, they do not play as incessantly fast, and moments of levity and diversity appear here and there. Also, they are obviously skilled musicians, and play with a looseness and shambling heaviness that will easily get your head-banging if you let it. Skitzo arent pretending to be playing anything other than 80s thrash metal (opener aside) and they achieve what they set out to do. Now, if only they could employ a bit more diversity. If all of the songs were of the quality of the standout, Krystal Deaths Horizon , with its unique song-structuring and inventive riffs, this album would be an absolute classic. As it stands, Hellavator Musick is of surprising quality but lacking in the originality department, eventually feeling slightly monotonous. Also, the bonus track really should have been left off, as it adds nothing to the album. Despite this, I think the sense of humour, kick-ass attitude, and skill that pervades the album make it worth a check-out from people who like Slayer and a little fun in their listening.
7.5/10
Official Skitzo Website
