Promising Beginning of an Atmospheric, Energetic and Gritty Phase - A Review of Skinflint's Adze

Four years after its excellent self-titled full length effort, Botswanan hevay metal trio Skinflint is back with a vibrant extended play featuring an instrumental overture and three regular songs for a total running time of seventeen minutes. The greatest thing to know is that the trio offers this release for free and that more music and new tours are on the horizon as well.

While founding members Guiseppe Sbrana on guitars and vocals as well as Kebonye Nkoloso on bass guitar are still on board, drummer Alessandra Sbrana left after a second stint with the band and was replaced by Cosmos Modisaemang who has already played in heavy metal quartet Amok. The new member brings a lot of energetic drive and variable speed to the table which sounds quite different from his predecessor's more grooving and rhythmic style.

This line-up change also explains why Adze is perhaps Skinflint's heaviest release. While this extended play still qualifies as a heavy metal record, the energy, grit and speed also make think of groove and thrash metal soundscapes and even flirt with extreme metal territories. This release could therefore please to potential new fans who enjoy heavy metal with a more aggressive tone.

Let's take a look at the four songs offered on this output. ''The Dark Continent'' is an instrumental opener with simple instrumentalisation but efficient atmosphere that would fit splendidly onto the soundtrack of any horror movie from the seventies or eighties. Even though the song slightly overstays its welcome, it's an interesting experiment the trio has never attempted before.

''Inverted Village'' cranks up the energy, heaviness and volume. It offers quite a few interesting changes in pace between menacing mid-tempo sections and relentless up-tempo outbursts that should please both heavy and thrash metal fans. The song never gets boring in its four and a half minutes and convinces with fluid but inventive songwriting.

Title track ''Adze'' on the other side is a little bit slower and meaner. Its sluggish mid-tempo guitar riffs and simple rhythm section blend in fluidly with the gloomy and gritty vocals. This track should please those looking for simpler musicianship and more sinister atmosphere.

The best song on this extended play might be the closing ''Flesh Potion'' that is also the most aggressive, the fastest and the grittiest tune on this output. This track exemplifies Skinflint's slight changes in sound towards a more intense formula very well without denying the band's charismatic heavy metal roots. This song was rightfully promoted with an entertaining music video and has the potential to stand the test of time and work very well in concert with its relentless energy.

At the end of the day, anyone who enjoys gritty heavy metal that values energy over innovation should certainly download Skinflint's  Adze for free and give it a few spins. It's great to hear the band performing new material that might announce a bright future as the global pandemic is finally coming to an end. Those who are still unfamiliar with the charismatic trio from Gaborone and want to listen to more material, should give preceding full length effort Skinflint a few spins.

Final rating: 80%