Skin The Mantic is proof that Metal will never die!
Written by Jesse James Smith
If you are chronically online and have been following GKE you would know that we usually cover music within the warped tour-esc scene. Today is not that day and we are diving into a band that is keeping the traditional Metal sound alive! Coming out of Philadelphia is an up and coming act called Skin The Mantic. This heavy metal trio has been working on their music for the last year and currently has a song out titled ‘Demi God’ which came out in 2023. In anticipation for their new music, we are reviewing that song and talking about what we can expect for their upcoming music! So put on your battle vest and trucker hat, it’s time to get heavy!
First things first… This track is a doozy sitting at around 5 minutes of pure unfiltered metal. You think you’ve heard anthemic style tracks before with bands like Lorna Shore, but this stands on its own. The first 1.5 minutes is just a giant jam build up of anticipation on amazing guitars. This is the “riding into battle” song you have all been waiting for. The display of not only musicianship but the raw power and energy of this intro is almost unfathomable. But when it's time for the vocals to finally kick in, you are not as prepared as you think you are. With a high shrieking note, vocalist Robby Hoffman shows off his incredible vocal range with a Iron Maiden-like lead off yell. Finally, the song is in full swing and the tempo is fast. So if you have long hair and like to do the windmill headbang, this is the song for you! Although this song is pure metal in the truest sense of the term, they also throw in a little new school elements. Towards the end there is a slowed part that would resemble a breakdown! While that is not uncommon even in Thrash Metal (calling all slayer fans) you can tell that the influence of that part came from the new metal and metalcore that we have now.
If you’re a heavy music fan in general, there is no way you can’t NOT like this song. It is pure, powerful and engulfs you in energy of badassery. This song along with their newest stuff that is coming was recorded and produced by Justin Mitchell from the band I AM KING who is a great friend of ours here at GKE! The music is tight and the production is tighter, I hope to see more of the flair and musicianship with the songs to come. This song was released last year, and with 2024 coming to a close, I hope for a new song soon.