Band:	Skeletonwitch
Album:	Breathing The Fire
Style:	Blackened thrash metal
Release date:	October 13, 2009
Guest review by:	FelineNine

01. Submit To The Suffering
02. Longing For Damnation
03. Where The Light Has Failed
04. Released From The Catacombs
05. Stand, Fight And Die
06. The Despoiler Of Human Life
07. Crushed Beyond Dust
08. Blinding Black Rage
09. Gorge Upon My Soul
10. Repulsive Salvation
11. Strangled By Unseen Hands
12. And Into The Flame

Skeletonwitch is at it again, defying the typecast by creating an album with so many influences it seems nearly impossible. Breathing The Fire is an excellent album, and here's why:

The band takes Nordic, Black and Thrash influences and fuses them all together seamlessly, showcasing their ability with short yet powerful tracks that leave you wanting more. Although they have been labelled as part of the "thrash revival," their style is extremely opposite from other bands in this vein (see Bonded By Blood, Warbringer and Gama Bomb). With those bands, it's more of an exact throwback to tracks from the 80's, where as Skeletonwitch actually goes out of their way to make something new for this generation. Not to say that new thrash is bad, as I enjoy it myself, just that there are only so many songs to re-hash before you run out of material.

My favourite tracks are 'Released from the Catacombs,' 'Crushed Beyond Dust,' and 'Repulsion Salvation', but let me tell you, it was hard to pick a few. I feel these are the best demonstrations of their musical ability and combination of the different styles. Not to mention the riffs are just delicious. The only problem you will have is picking a favourite for yourself. The talented vocal work from Chance Garnet is probably my favourite part of the album, he really nails the black metal aspect, and it holds the songs together. The band is starting to get things together and define their sound - it's obvious a lot of work went into this one, and hopefully they will get the attention they deserve.

If you are a fan of Thrash or Black, I highly suggest listen to this album. I will even go as far to say that you would be crazy not to try it, even if you don't enjoy it (which would surprise me). This is a good place to start if you are wondering about where this music is headed because Skeletonwitch is bound to be a major player in influencing the next wave of this style. [i]Breathing The Fire[i/] is climbing my list of favourites and it's just something no one should miss out on. If you have a chance to see this album live, then do it.