Review: Skin Like Iron - Arrival

Skin Like Iron

Arrival

React! Records

Tracklisting:

01. Arrival
02. Blame
03. Legions
04. Silence Swells
05. Freeze
06. Blame II
07. Consequences
08. Dim Horizon
09. Reason
10. Wisdom

The first time I ever heard Skin Like Iron, I’m ashamed to admit, was their split with Nails that was put out earlier this year.  I say I am ashamed of this because this band has been absolutely tearing it up for over 5 years and I somehow completely missed out on them.  Luckily for me, I have been able to dive into their back catalog like a fat kid swimming in pudding and revel in all of their metallic glory.

Now, anyone who listens to the Lost Tribe podcast probably knows that I have a hard time figuring out whey SLI is classified as a hardcore band, and Arrival furthers this mystification.  I mean, it’s obvious that these guys grew up on a healthy dose of Black Flag, COC, and a ton of cross-over bands, but in my opinion, Skin Like Iron is a straight-up metal band....and one of the best metal bands currently thrashing today.

The riffs on Arrival are massive, and the melodies and rhythms seem like a logical extension of what the band had been doing on All Human Failings and Descent Into Light.  There are true dynamics to this record as well, which is a welcome change to many similar groups, who seem to be stuck on ‘shred’ 100% of the time.  These more subdued parts make the faster, more cacophonous parts seem all the more crushing and impactful.  Listen to “Arrival” or “Consequences” and try and tell me I’m wrong.

Metalheads and hardcore should put aside their mosh-pit differences to celebrate this criminally underrated band. 

Buy the album here.