Continuing their monthly curation of essential albums within the lexicon of heavy music, cultural authority Gimme Metal has bolstered their ongoing vinyl club with the addition of Skeletonwitch's Prosthetic Record's debut, 'Beyond The Permafrost'.
Regarded as the band's definitive work, the collection of tracks showcase a skilled mesh of blackened thrash, combined with instances of brutal death that warranted a conversation in cataloging the work as a modern classic. Blazoned with the unmistakable artwork of John Dyer Baizley of Baroness, 'Beyond The Permafrost' made an emphatic statement upon it's arrival and has only gotten better with age.
Gimme Metal's Community Manager Bri Hailey offered spoke about the latest addition to the Vinyl Club archive and how the modern metal masterpiece makes sense in joining the ranks of the club's previous greats.
When I learned we were re-issuing Beyond The Permafrost for the Gimme Metal Vinyl Club, I was ecstatic. Not only because it’s my favorite modern metal album and it absolutely rips, but because I believe it is one of those releases that is so well done that people from any area of the metal spectrum can appreciate it.
While it leans heavily into the thrash wheelhouse, you’ll also find blackened edges, death in the depths and melodic musings. If you’ve never heard this one before and you’re a fan of heavy music, it’s bound to pique your interest and it’s a great release to introduce you Skeletonwitch.
Beyond The Permafrost is Skeletonwitch’s second full-length release but their first to be put out under the umbrella of Prosthetic Records, and undoubtedly the fan-favorite when it comes to the band’s discography. It melts your face in all the best ways possible and does it so quickly that while the last bit of “Within My Blood” is ringing out, you’re eagerly awaiting your chance to flip the album back over to side one for another round. And have you seen that artwork?! A John Dyer Baizley masterpiece worthy of hanging on your wall while the album stays in heavy rotation on your record player.
Daniel Dekay, who has guest DJed on Gimme Metal three times with Allan Johnson for the legendary Canadian speed metal band Exciter, is also a big fan of the album and raves, “Permafrost is one of the most exciting thrash inspired albums of the 2000's and I hold it very close to my frozen heart. With a ridiculously wide and diverse set of influences ranging from black and death to NWOBHM, there is no shortage of captivating, unique, and memorable tunes on this record. From all out blackened 16th note minor riffing, to pummeling death metal blastbeat passages, to epic Maiden-esque melodic harmony lines, this album is a fun exercise in celebrating all the best parts of metal and not being confined to one sub genre."
"The production is raw and convincing, the tones are mammoth, and the songwriting is inspired. Add one of the most charismatic and badass frontmen to ever grace the genre into the fold and you've got yourself a perfect storm: the grunts, shrieks, and ad-lib vocal tags are just icing on this already flawless display of heavy fucking metal.”
The final day to sign up for this Gimme Metal Vinyl Club is release is June 26, 2021 and the exclusive “Winter Wind” variant will release on July 15th, 2021.
