Skull PitSkull Pit

The passion for NWOBHM shared between Mem V. Stein and Tatsu Mikami has bridged transcontinental divides to spawn a rocking new project, Skull Pit.

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In a notable departure from Stein and Mikami’s familiar, longstanding bands of NYC thrashers Exumer and Tokyo-based doom metallers Church Of Misery respectively, the vocalist and bassist have joined forces to celebrate the sounds of the late 1970s and 1980s in a rocking project that is set to release its debut album, self-titled Skull Pit.

Skull Pit are dancing in an arena in which it is difficult to be original while still harnessing the NWOBHM sound, but they’ve done it. The opening track Double Cross comes out firing with a catchy riff and memorable lyrics, which is a standard feature across the ten tracks. Each has very much its own character, as one can certainly see on the more melodic tracks such as Wolf Spirit. Overall however, it is the snappy lyrics and the rhythm section that drive the Skull Pit sound, rendering tracks such as Roller and Soul Raider notably in the spirit of bands such as Motorhead.

Skull Pit’s sound isn’t over-embellished, nor should it be. It is stripped back to the core elements and delivered with passion.

Mikami’s bass work stands out across the album but in particular Fire Breather boasts some seriously tough bass runs and the pounding rhythm section of The Line is undeniably addictive. Skull Pit did each track justice, with easily identifiable openings and swinging rhythms such as on Year Of The Dog and the bouncing bass groove of Blood Titan lets loose on some very cool funky vibe. Features such this really pull Skull Pit into a unique heavy metal project with a smooth modern twist.

Skull Pit’s sound isn’t over-embellished, nor should it be. It is stripped back to the core elements and delivered with passion. The album is tight, at only ten tracks, and each song is potentially iconic. In keeping with the NWOBHM sentiment, Skull Pit is hard rocking, tough grooving, and shamelessly fun.

STANDOUT TRACKS: Fire Breather, Year Of The Dog, The Line.
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