It was not that long ago that Caligari Records released a damn fine split release with the demo tapes from Swedish INISANS and the French duo SKELETHAL. And now the French duo is back again with a brand new release on this fine label. "Deathmanicvs Revelation" is the name of this EP and it just knocked me out of my boots. Just looking at the artwork is like a promise of something great to come. And SKELETHAL keeps this promise in a way I never expected, even after that fine demo. A sinister intro with a scary piano melody opens up "Deathmanicvs Revelation". After this introduction it takes SKELETHAL just estimated 0.666 seconds to show us who’s pulling the punches. Listening to the opener ‘Macabre Oblivion’, I immediately thought of the latest EXCRUCIATE re-release, as far as the raw delivery of old fashioned Swedish Death Metal is concerned. The vocal delivery made me think that L-G Petrov went back to his glorious style of singing in the days of NIHILIST and early ENTOMBED, yet Mr. Gui Haunting growls with a passion that is very rare these days. And the drumming of his partner in crime, Mr. Jon Whiplash, is beyond belief. The same goes for the guitars (Gui) and bass (Jon) here. Pure passion for Metal of Death, played with reckless abandon, that is what this EP makes an absolutely outstanding offering! Even though every second of "Deathmanicvs Revelation" is damn brilliant, there is an absolute highlight that finishes this EP: ‘A Violation Of Something Sacred’ is just unbelievably great. Love this frenzy guitar work from the deepest of my rotting soul! Honestly, what we have here is nothing less than a damn fuckin’ killer!!! Even though I usually wait for the end of the year, I tie myself down already and put "Deathmanicvs Revelation" in my Top 10 for 2014! Just in case you’re not into tapes anymore: Iron Bonehead is responsible for the vinyl edition. But the tape version is extremely limited, since there are just 100 copies available, as it is known from Caligari, and it comes with a professional printed folder and in the renowned highest quality. So, check the labels: www.caligarirecords.com or www.ironbonehead.de. For more about SKELETHAL, go to skelethal.bandcamp.com