Album Review: Devouring Radiant Light by Skeletonwitch

The past five years have seen major changes for the Ohio metal band Skeletonwitch. During the New England leg of their October 2014 tour, firebrand frontman Chance Garnette suddenly left the band. Several days later, Massachusetts authorities charged him with assault and battery of a family/household member. Reflecting on the situation months later, Garnette cited his drinking problem as the primary reason for his exit--a framing one of the band's guitarists, Scott Hedrick, refuted in an interview, telling Vancouver Weekly, "A bunch of beers didn't make this change happen." In time, "this change" would entail not only a new frontman, but a sobering reorientation of Skeletonwitch's entire sound.

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Skeletonwitch have crafted one hell of a banger with "Devouring Radiant Light"; a wondrously executed record filled with viciousness and morose joy that sees the Ohio natives operating with an ingenious understanding of modern metal. Being from Columbus, Ohio I've been keenly aware of Skeletonwitch for some time now. Maybe it was the merch or their logo, but I was always under the impression that they played a commercial version of thrash or a standard brand of power metal--two areas of the metal spectrum I tend to unconsciously avoid.

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