Skullpriest is an instrumental rock trio based in Switzerland and has recently released their second album, not counting a 2019 split with Great Lady Under Earth. That album is called On The Verge, and its five tracks are the purpose of our discussion today.
About Skullpriest and On The Verge
Skullpriest plays a blend of heavy psych, stoner metal, and doom. Their music rotates around fuzz riffs, tripped-out delay, and walls of droning feedback that pulls listeners back and forth from post-apocalyptic deserts to the cosmic void. (Paraphrased from their Bandcamp description).
The band consists of Martin Zaugg on guitar, Patrick Lorenzon on bass, and drummer Roman Bolliger, whose talents come together to create an incredible web that contains the perfect musical backdrop to whatever your summer plans may be this year.
The Songs
1. Too Many Voices (06:30)
I like how Skullpriest starts this track with a sense of calm, almost to the point of tranquility. As the seconds tick away, things begin to rise slowly, not to the point of intensity, but enough to show you they’re leading you somewhere grand. There is no jarring entrance when the first distorted riff arrives, taking all of the anticipations they have built up and delivering its implied promise for the rest of the track.
2. Sungazer (08:25)
This is one of my favorite songs from On The Verge, as it brings all of the elements of heavy psych along for the ride. The intro is a sweet mix of psych and blues, with a wonderful guitar tone devoid of distortion but flavored with effects like chorus, delay, and reverb, keeping things bright but mellow until about the two-minute mark. We then find the band keeps that psych-blues vibe as the more distorted guitar riffs enter, where things take on more of a stoner-metal/heavy psych sound as Skullpriest works their way toward the end of the track.
3. Burning Lungs (05:27)
At this point, I have determined there is a formula to what Skullpriest does. They start mellow, slowly adding more intense elements as the song moves ahead until they reach the end. While this song didn’t wait as long to start getting into the heavier end of things, it is still set up like its predecessors. I dig what they do, but I wish this song would have broken that mold more than it does.
4. Ikonoklast (08:54)
This one has a lot in common with drone music, as some of the riffs have a feel that is indicative of that genre. There are a couple of spots that I don’t really get into as they seem a tad repetitive, but then Skullpriest will shift gears and remind me that they aren’t screwing around on this or any other track. They’re here to throw several different themes at you; you just have to pick the ones that suit your music needs best.
5. Space Does Not Care (12:12)
Skullpriest saved their longest and best song for the album closer; it also has the coolest name of the five songs. I tried to find things about it that were weaknesses, but the only one I could come up with was the formulaic tendencies that all of these songs have. The riffs, themes, and approach are all excellent, and the best guitar parts are located within this final track.
Final Thoughts
Of all the subgenres of psychedelic rock that are out there, my favorite is heavy psych. Bands like Clouds Taste Satanic, Thumos, and Skullpriest all give me something extraordinarily fulfilling, with their blend of heavy and trippy being among the best things currently happening within the music scene.
Skullpriest’s On The Verge album is another example of why I feel that way, using fat riffs to make my head bang slightly and tempering them with sweet, psychedelic goodness with an utterly pleasing approach. Their full-length albums are excellent examples of the genre; you should be checking out their music.
So head over to any of the places you find music; I recommend Bandcamp, and wrap your ears around instrumental heavy psych excellence!
Support Skullpriest by finding them on Bandcamp or social media (Instagram, Facebook).
This review was written by Tom Hanno, who has been writing reviews for the last 7 years but has been sharing his love of music for the majority of his life. Originally starting out at the now-defunct Chimera Magazine, he is currently contributing to Doomed and Stoned, The Sleeping Shaman, The Doom Charts, Tom’s Reviews, and The Third Eye. Read more of Tom’s reviews by checking out his Linktree.
Parting words: “I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity.” – Edgar Allan Poe
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