BOG REVIEW - "SKULLHAMMER" (OLD SCHOOL DEATH METAL/DEATH METAL) - "WHERE SKULLS PILE HIGH" (RELEASED JAN 16TH, 2026)

Yo! Bog was anticipating Skullhammer with f*-c-k-i-n-g- glee just on the album cover alone. This is barbarian death metal and Bog is going to say straight up, 'Stenchers, the intro alone should make you need to run into an empty field and roar loudly like Dog Man when he isn’t busy lurking in the dark like some creepy mutated fur tower with eyes.'

01. Introduction - Just play the intro. When you hear the horn chime in, just wow. You know you're in for an album that is going to make you fart into a bucket loudly. It's a good idea to do that in an empty house to scare annoying neighbours. It makes your farts louder—there's a tip you won't get anywhere else. Remember that.

Just look at the album cover. 'Foam, Stenchers! Foammmmm!'

Ok, are you ready? Bog is ready. Start up the engines, let's f*-c-k-i-n-g- go!

02. Principium is the opener after the intro and Bog is jumping on the spot. The track has "Charge," "Charge" as the opening vocal line. F*-c-k-, Bog is revving up the engine. Solid drumming and a mid-pace feel in the vein of a notable death metal band—as always, we don't name-drop other bands, no taking attention away from the artist. Good guitar riff drops, and the vocals are cleanly mastered growls.

There is quite a solid breakdown halfway through, which made Bog run through a corn field. It serves as the outro to transition to 03. Where Skulls Pile High, which is another mid-paced riff-fest with some boot-worthy, solid-af breakdown riffs. It has a down-tempo-ish feel, then the pace returns to a mid-pace for the outro with the war drums banging through the track.

The fade-out around 3:19 is sick and works well for the heavy riff introduction of 04. Unstoppable March, which is an instant march-to-the-mosh track with a war-raging anthem to run in a circle of sweat.

The impression Bog is drawing so far is a neatly packaged album to quickly immerse the listener in the world of Skullhammer. They are an ideal flow for our own march to 500 steps. High, mid, and low frequencies are quite sick and its a straight up head banger of a track.

The vocal delivery is solid, although unclean, if you listen in, you can distinguish the words, which is kinda cool as they are like the war leader calling folks to the mosh battle.

Mid paced again, but it's bang your head along to the rhythm. Good shit Stenchers.

05. Berzerker Fury - If there is any doubt about the non-musical influences in Where Skulls Pile High, then the title of the fifth track really hits home hard.

At 1:01 after a brief riffage and a counting in from the drummer, Skullhammer takes us into a solid ass riff breakdown that is highly atmospheric in the feels, and you can see yourself on a war wagon racing across the sands.

At 1:52, the pace steps up compared to the other tracks with a furious blast beat display. The angry vocals hit us with a good ass mosh section before the sick fade out 2:15-2:17 transitioning into 06. Interlude.

Bog enjoyed the interlude, because it adds the cinematic effects to the concept and transports us into the world of the barbarian. Bog may need to recruit Skullhammer for our march to 500. It's dark, imposing, and immediately hits the imagination.

Some folks may skip it, but tracks like this help build the musical journey and bridge the transitions. Would be a sick one to drop in a misty ass room with the lights out, or play while standing on top of an ancient fort.

The audio levels are balanced and it wets the palate for what is going to follow with 07. Slave to Despair, which is a stand out track for showcasing other influences in Skullhammer's sound.

It is another mid pace offering like the most of tracks so far, but there is a difference with Slave to Despair, which had Bog's ears tingling. Halfway through we go into a very classic death metal feel for banging that head again, then, then, Bog just about burst with excitement and was sweating profusely when he heard this at 1:43, the horn, then the battle horn drop (the previous horn is like the warm up). Stenchers, the f*-c-k-i-n-g- drop on this horn.

There is no other way than a visual painting. A f*-c-k- off legion stretches back for miles and miles across a barren land. They are facing an opposing army of fiends who are licking their axes, and releasing blood curdling shrieks.

Our barbarian horde is shaken for a moment, then the battle horn drops at 1:48-1:51. It's a drop instantaneously resulting in our horde immediately forming ranks ready to hit a run forward into the opposing fiends. At 1:52 the drums count in the riffs for the gathered warriors to charge with determined focused faces.

Slave To Despair - It really steps up the feels with a hardcore breakdown (the other influences Bog was coming too) and the riff increases speed with vocals layering on top of the section. Structured and organized very well, and transitions back to the core mid-pace feel throughout the album.

Powerful riffing and is a stand out track with balanced audio levels, and the band sync very well on this track.

The outro closes out quietly and cleanly.

08. Hammered - A memorable closing track to Where Skulls Pile High with solid opening riffing and an accompanying vocal drop. The riffing and drumming are constant with heavy mosh feels, and rapid attack drumming sequences in parts.

Hammered is another of the heavier fast tracks in parts with a mid breakdown section screaming circle pit.

The frequencies are still tight and audio mastering is solid.

The flow and build are consistent, and they link up nice with the solos and the transitions in and out of each section. The outro is a quiet fade into an atmospheric cinematic piece with an excellent battle horn, which marks the end of the story for now.

Bog's Thoughts: Bog really does enjoy bands who use a different concept/narrative in aggressive music. It works so well for the setting, which is why we would love to see the approach used more. 

The audio frequencies are balanced, clean, and distinguishable for the ear across all areas.

The production and mastering are tight, and the build and flow throughout the album are consistent with no drop-offs.

It's not the heaviest death metal and is mainly mid-paced, so those who like faster and heavier bands may not enjoy it, but Bog thought it was a fun listen with a good story, and the effects presented something different.

There are moments when you feel like you're in the barbarian lands yourself!

The influences from notable old-school death artists are present, and there are some hardcore and slight deathgrind sectors coming through on the breakdowns.

So, stand on the ramparts, let loose the roars! Skullhammer are here!

Bog would recommend Skullhammer use the battle horn in live shows to signal the pits!

Ok, Stenchers, Bog is heading down to a random shitty wargames tabletop store to roll a dice to Skullhammer's battle horn and say, "Yo, your 300-dollar rule book and 90,000-dollar armies that no one can afford outside of Monaco can't match that."

Website: https://skullhammer.de

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skullhammer_official

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@skullhammer-deathmetal

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@skullhammer_official

Bandcamp: https://skullhammer.bandcamp.com

 



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