Skull & Crossbones Time Review
Skull & Crossbones
Time
Massacre Records
2025
There’s something about good Power Metal that just hits differently: that classic bite, the melodic swagger, the sense that the band has been doing this long enough to know exactly how to tighten the screws without ever losing sight of the prize. Skull & Crossbones return with their new album “Time” and let me tell you right now: this thing ticks all the boxes.
I went into this record fully aware I’d be stepping into Power Metal territory, which usually isn’t my go-to lane. However, this album is a winner right out of the gate. It’s a straight-up Power Metal/Heavy Metal hybrid from a band that believes in what they’re doing and approaches their craft with purpose. Nothing feels phoned-in, it’s convincing, committed, and remarkably well executed.
From the opening track, “Echoes of Eternity,” you can feel the band digging in. The riffs come storming out with that traditional German punch-you-in-the-face precision, and the rhythm section is locked in like they’re trying to keep the earth rotating on tempo. The vocals sit in the higher registers, but they keep things melodic without going full cartoonish, which is a blessing. If every vocalist in this genre took this approach, I’d probably be a much bigger Power Metal fan.
There’s a ton of melody across the record, but the band never lets the songs soften up for too long. “Labyrinth of Time” is a prime example. Every chorus feels tailor-made for a packed club of sweaty diehards belting it back, and every solo plays like it’s got something to prove. The energy is steady, the hooks are tight, and the riffs and leads are phenomenal across the board. The whole album feels like a throwback to the early ’90s Power Metal scene, just with far better production and a cleaner mix.
If you’ve followed my reviews for any amount of time, you already know I’m a sucker for bands who still believe in the fundamentals. On “Time”, Skull & Crossbones deliver a record that sounds hungry, sharp, and proudly rooted in what made this style great in the first place.
Other standouts: “Thunderstorm,” “Nocturnal Dream,” and “The Ocean’s Call.”