Nothing fancy here, and that is exactly why it works so well for this demo. Skullchurn clearly are targeting that crude Old School Death Metal sound, yet throwing enough Thrash in to keep all the guitars and everything else cutting. I can definitely hear Death in the influence here, but more of that gritty ‘Scream Bloody Gore’ attack. Now the faster, thrashier parts reminded me of Possessed along with the kind of riffs they use that cut rather than load up with nothing but weight.
This is a raw, right in your face kind of vocals which suits the demo perfectly. The guitars sound sharp and slicing whilst the drums are deep, but are clearly giving it some added foundation of weight. This kind of balanced sound is what makes it fun to listen to. Primitive the right way and this is certainly a great demonstration of when OSDM and Thrash still bled into each other.
For a debut demo, this is a strong start. ‘Of Death and Rebirth’ is a great example of OSDM done right, and I hope Skullchurn has more material in the chamber.
