Review by Daniel for Num Skull - Ritually Abused (1988)

Illinois brutal thrash metal outfit Num Skull are yet another 1980's band that time seems to have been very kind to, having slowly built up somewhat of a cult following over the several decades since their debut album “Ritually Abused” hit the shelves back in 1988. I was certainly aware of it back in my tape trading days & probably gave it a few more chances to seal the deal with me than I might usually do based purely on my love of the more brutal end of thrash metal. I can’t say that it ever really impressed me enough to become a go-to record when I’m in the mood for that kinda thing though so I never bothered to explore their 1996 follow-up record "When Suffering Comes". Regardless of that, there’s been a lot of water go under the bridge since forming my lasting impressions of “Ritually Abused” so perhaps I’ve been a little harsh on it. I intended to find out when I revisited it over the last couple of days.

The production job on “Ritually Abused” is everything you’d expect from an underground metal release of the time & was handled by legendary scene figure Griffy who was most notable for managing bands like Motley Crue & Death as well as for being the co-promoter of the Milwaukee Metalfest. He also produced releases for a string of respected bands such as Morbid Saint. There’s very little gloss & polish about “Ritually Abused” with Num Skull being presented in a suitably raw fashion that works quite well for this style of music. The levels are often overdriven to the point of distortion but you can still make out all of the instruments & everything feels quite authentic to the late 80’s model of underground thrash. The musicianship is very good for a debut release too & you can easily see that the band had paid some dues during their three years of existence.

Num Skull place their cards down on the table very early on in proceedings with their sound being built upon a few things. Firstly, we have the violent, high-speed thrash assault of Sadus, Kreator & “Darkness Descends”-era Dark Angel. This is done marvelously well at times too, particularly through the hectic Slayer-style guitar solo sections which generally represent a no-hold-barred attack on the senses. Num Skull regularly incorporate chuggier mid-tempo sections that wouldn’t feel out of place on an Anthrax record though & this material isn’t nearly as effective although it’s hard to argue that there needed to be some respite given from the relentless up-tempo stuff. Also worth noting is the vocal delivery of front man Skip McGullam which sits very much in the late-80’s death metal space, particularly reminding me of Death mastermind Chuck Schuldiner. That recipe certainly sounds pretty good on paper & the more aggressive tracks are unanimously successful at what they'd set out to achieve but it’s not all roses in thrash town.

The main detractor I find with “Ritually Abused” is in the mid-tempo material which isn’t bad in isolation but sounds pretty light-weight when placed alongside the more vicious stuff. Skip’s vocal style doesn’t exactly gel over mosh-worthy Anthrax riffs either & subsequently sounds a bit forced. I’d also suggest that even the strongest tracks (such as “No Morals”, “Turn of a Screw”, “Kiss Me, Kill Me”, “Rigor Mortis” & my personal favourite “Death & Innocence”) suffer from a lack of identity in their riffs. To be more specific, the overall energy is fantastic but the riffs aren’t all that memorable & Skip’s vocals don’t offer much in the way of hooks either which prevents any of these tracks from reaching classic status. Then we have a couple of clear duds in “Pirate’s Night” & the decidedly flat speed metal closer “Murder By The Minister” which tarnish a lot of the good work Num Skull had done elsewhere.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot to like about “Ritually Abused” but I can’t say that it’s essential listening by any means. Fans of bands like Devastation, Morbid Saint & Solstice should definitely check it out as there’s not nearly enough extreme thrash around but just don’t go into it expecting a fully-realized & supreme example of its type. You will, however, find a fine selection of tracks to include on your gym playlists though.