Free Metals: Skáphe - Skáphe

Very little seems to be known about Skáphe. The band's American, and that's about all I can find. Not sure about where Skáphe is from, how many members, etc. This self-titled release is available through Fallen Empire Records, but Skáphe doesn't appear to have any sort of social media site of its own. Skáphe plays low-fi, sometimes doomy, black metal that the record label calls "asphyxiating," and I have to agree.

If you want to scare your friends who aren't into extreme metal, put on "Every Soul Entombed." They won't know what hit them, and I'm sure they'll never be the same again. There's a great moment (7:40) when the guitars drop off, leaving you with vocals, bass, and drums for about 15 seconds. From this point on, you'll notice the bass more.

The next two tracks, "Melancholic Ossuary" and "The Obelisk Gleam," are slowed down with some doom mixed in, suggesting that Skáphe might be even more devastating at a more deliberate pace. The album/cassette ends with "Untitled," an atmospheric five and a half minutes that serve as the calm after the storm.

The four songs on Skáphe are intense yet varied enough to remain compelling throughout its 35 minutes. The album is available digitally at Fallen Empire's bandcamp page and can be downloaded at the "Name Your Price" option here.