ALBUM REVIEW: Skinwalker – The Eternal

With six previous album releases and two decades of creativity under their belts, Australian four-piece THE ETERNAL have carved themselves a steady and lasting legacy. A blend of metal’s doomier and progressive elements has helped produce a melodic and grandiose sound. They’ve undergone a few line-up changes since their incarnation in 2003, however, their emotive styling has been markedly consistent and has won them critical acclaim.

Skinwalker is the seventh instalment in THE ETERNAL catalogue. The current line-up is a truly international affair featuring Jan Rechberger (AMORPHIS) and Niclas Etelävuori (ex-AMORPHIS/FLAT EARTH) along with longtime members Mark Kelson and Richie Poate, the former two based in Helsinki and the latter in Melbourne. While this quartet forms the core for the output on the album, there are a number of guest appearances increasing the global collaborative efforts. Despite what must have been challenges with locations and time differences, Skinwalker certainly delivers the cohesive emotive power that has become part of THE ETERNAL signature.

It can be a gamble to open an album with a ten-minute plus epic. However, it is something that THE ETERNAL have done before on previous record Waiting For The Endless Dawn, and it pays off here too. Abandoned By Hope pushes the sweeping majestic style of the band and illustrates the creative highs that they are capable of: shifting dynamics, sweeping orchestral crescendos and knitting it all together is a powerful rhythm section and chugging guitars. On paper it could come across as egotistical to have a track of this nature right at the start.  However, the execution of the songwriting with intelligent craft ensuring that no elements allow the music to become overblown, married with the spacious mix, keeps every minute captivating.

While there is a wealth of enjoyment encapsulated within the longer tracks on Skinwalker – the opener is matched in its presence by the likes of powerful and stately The Iconoclast and the emotionally rich Fall Upon The Earth – there is a bounty of further enjoyment within the shorter tracks. Deathlike Silence offers up engaging hooks and a driving sound, showcasing how THE ETERNAL can execute a rockier number just as comfortably as an epic. The guitar tone alone on When The Fire Dies presents a standout moment, and the overall track itself once again demonstrates that the band can deliver an enthralling number containing all their key elements and still be laced with catchy hooks.

While some of the track lengths may be off-putting for some who might be looking for a quicker metal fix, this is an album that offers rich reward for a complete listen. Tracks link together with ease to create a flowing listening experience. The volume of instrumentation and technical elements held within the songs could lead to a bubbling dirge of undiscernible pomp. However, it revolves around the talented songwriting and the experience held within the core of THE ETERNAL to achieve a unified record full of enraptured charm from start to finish.

Rating: 7/10

Skinwalker is set for release on June 28th via Reigning Phoenix Music

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