The Ultimate Review of Skaven / Stormcrow

It makes sense that Stormcrow and Skaven would share a split. Both are Oakland natives whose aesthetic style is crust/stench with strong atmospherics of death-doom and an overall toxic vibe of barely restrained mayhem. Both are also sadly defunct at this point despite reps that continue to grow among those who worship that gnarliest aspects of deathly crust punk.

"The Swarm" reeks of gloom. Skaven are as morose a crust band as you will ever find. The thrill and glory is over with them -- all that is left is a field of rotting dead. Warhammer fans will recognize their name as that of the verminous, pestilential breed of mutated humanoid rat-creatures that leave nothing but disease in their wake. Skaven's music captures that feeling with lots of downcast melodic clean picking, downtrodden chugging riffs, and torturous rasping vox. This track went unreleased for a long time and is not one of Skaven's best efforts. Rather sloppy and shoddily constructed, the track just kinda trudges along in a dreary sort of way without gathering the necessary steam that crust needs to stay engaging.

Stormcrow's "Final Plague" however delivers on a much higher scale. Far deathier and heavier than Skaven, Stormcrow definitely veer on the death-doom side of equation. The vocals are much deeper, the riffs have a morbid energy to them, and the whole track coalesces around martial passages of battering crust. If Skaven sound like the aftermath of battle, Stormcrow are the battle itself and a hint of blood-splattered banners rippling over the field arises from beneath their grim exterior.

"The Swarm:" 61%
"Final Plague:" 78%
Final: 70% (rounded up)
Final Score: 61 / 100