Selfmadegod Records confirms the April release of Deadly Intrusions, the debut full-length release from Quebec-based black/thrash metal duo Skumstrike, unloading the album’s details and volatile lead single, “Blood Red Vision.”
Formed in the icy depths of Montreal in the Winter of 2017, Skumstrike seeks an unholy union between the raging punk of that city and the glowing-red aggression of ancient thrash and first-wave black metal. With LA (Profane Order) on strings and ZS (Serpent Corpse, Xanadoo) on vocals/ceaseless battery, the band issued their Demo 2017 in their first year, followed by 2018’s nascent Pure Coercion EP, which first showcased the cadre's hideous melding of pounding hardcore with the primal madness of early Voivod and ‘80s Germanic steel. Spilling early blood on the stage with acts like Outre Tombe, Occult Burial, Devil Master, Profane Order, Saccage, Enforced, High Command, and Napalm Raid, the group took a leap forward in 2020 with their Caligari Records debut, the Execution Void EP, while ramping up live shows around Eastern Canada.
The EP paved the way for an East Coast tour of the US, with dates alongside fellow Quebec filth-merchants Sedimentum, only to be denied by the arrival of the pandemic and the slamming shut of the northern frontier. Regrouping the following summer, LA and ZS poured all their spite and love for blackened speed punk into Skumstrike's most acidic material yet. Having previously shared the stage with Canadian black metal horde Spectral Wound, the group chose to record their debut full-length, Deadly Intrusions, with Spectral Wound guitarist Pat McDowell in August 2021. What issued forth is a venomous tale of mental degradation.
Deadly Intrusions combines rapid-fire thrash with the heft of early Celtic Frost and moon-worshiping abandon of Darkthrone. A crackling vein of high-voltage hardcore punk runs through the record, perfectly portrayed with a reckless cover of Poison Idea's “Nothing is Final,” while the wild spirit of Japanese acts ranging from Sabbat to GISM animate the unhinged vocals.
Recorded and Mixed July-August 2021 in Montreal by Pat McDowall and mastered by Enormous Door, Deadly Intrusions is completed with cover artwork by renowned Indonesian artist Ibay Arifin.
With “Blood Red Vision,” the lead single from the new album, the band offers “A crude blast of primeval thrash metal meets Neanderthal hardcore, 'Blood Red Vision' is track number two from Skumstrike's debut album, Deadly Intrusions. This cut kicks off with a simple riff that quickly morphs into a wild ride of pounding drums, sinister laughter, and rapid-fire aggression.”
Deadly Intrusions will see release on CD and digital formats through Polish extreme merchants Selfmadegod on April 8, with the band’s US allies Caligari Records handling the cassette version. Watch for additional audio previews, preorders, and more to post over the coming days.
Fully armed with this new arsenal, with JK of Spectral Wound and Profane Order handling bass assaults, Skumstrike plans a vengeful return to the live stage in 2022.
Tracklisting:
“Caustic Poison”
“Blood Red Vision”
“(Ensnared In) Endless Night”
“Panic Obsession”
“Another Shot Of Fear”
“Ritual Murder”
“Mental Wound Submission”
“Lobotomize”
“The Infestor”
“Deadly Intrusions”
“Nothing Is Final” (Poison Idea cover)
“Blood Red Vision”:
