Skull Fist’s leather-cuffed prehensile-appendage burrowed deep into our rib cages to steal our collective hearts via the inclusion of their catchy-as-all-hell “Bad for Good” in 2015’s New Zealand horror-comedy masterpiece ‘Deathgasm.’ Building up a rabid fanbase over 15 years and 3 records, Skull Fist took advantage of the emergence of a booming old-school metal resurgence that counted amongst their ranks bands as diverse and talented as their Canadian brothers in Stryker, LA’s Haunt, and Sweden’s Enforcer. Plagued by a heinous record deal signed in 2011 that saw the band themselves earning only 15% of the profits, ‘Paid in Full’ has been sitting on the shelf for over a year while the band waged war against their label. Finally, on April 22, the new record will stand as proof positive that the Fist is back!
In the classic rock n’ roll tradition of writing songs about sketchy recording/management contracts, the title track joins the hallowed ranks of songs like Queen’s “Death on Two Legs” and The Sex Pistols’ “EMI.” The goofy detuned voice that kicks off the record “I’m no longer your slave the debt has been paid in full,” essentially announces act two of Skull Fist’s career. A mid-tempo anthem that rides an angular riff to a big melodic chorus, the song finds Zach Slaughter, né Schottler (vocals, guitar), and company in fine form.
The excellent “Blackout” splits the difference between classic metal and thrash and approximates what a Michael Wagner produced, Klaus Meine fronted, ‘Kill ‘Em All’ might sound like. The requisite classical music-inspired acoustic intro gives way to a double-kick stomper thick with melody-laced speedy guitar runs before dropping the tempo for an infectious coda with some of the record’s strongest guitar work. The record’s spare, no-frills production emphasizes the powerful rhythm section of Casey Guest (drums) and JJ Tartagila (drums) and manages to bottle the band’s dynamic energy.
Elsewhere, speed-metal anthems like “For the Last Time” and the irresistibly silly “Long Live the Fist” balance nuanced aggression with memorable choruses and skillful musicianship. Inversely, on “Madman,” the band slows down the tempo, for a chugging classic metal stand-out that accentuates Slaughter’s exquisite pipes and his penchant for melody.
“Crush, Kill, Destroy” is a lesson in dynamic metal songwriting. From the undeniable sextuplet rhythmic patterns and Slaughter’s lead guitar breaks to the speedy middle-eight, it stands as a testament to the high caliber of craft and musicianship on display here.
With nary a dud insight, ‘Paid in Full’ is a triumph. In financial straits from having bought out their previous contract with no income from their previous records, one can only hope that the universe “gifts” Skull Fist a successful record as a reward for their resolve and unflinching tenacity.
‘Paid in Full’, Skull Fist’s fourth record overall and first since being emancipated from a shoddy record deal, is a focused effort that plays to their strengths. The band’s trademark old-school melodicism via tight speed-metal riffage remains wholly intact, and the band doesn’t waste a single second on the record’s eight awesome tracks.