Skinhook - Leading The Charge In North Texas Death Metal

Established in 2012, Skinhook consists of Angel Hunter on vocals, Chance Hardnock and Robert Torres on guitars, Jaymes Jäger on the drums, and Derrick Dorsey slapping the bass. Skinhook united by gravitating towards each other overtime, headbanging at the same shows, playing in other bands at the same shows, then at one time being bound together by their love of metal to form what is now the band Skinhook.
Predominantly, Skinhook is a Death Metal band, but they are not genre specific. They are filled with a mixture of other elements such as thrash, groove, rock, and progressive elements. Angel and Jaymes compose the lyrics while the other individuals contribute to the music and then they all collectively decide what sounds good and roll with it. Together they feel a song must write itself, a process which can’t be forced. It must come together naturally and “the song must be that song.” Saying that you must sound or write a certain way is too limiting, so the song must be organic. Sound wise, Skinhook is closely related to Cannibal Corpse, where they use a harmonic minor which gives them this evil sound.
Much like their dark sound stems from their writing influences which include horror fiction, social issues, and personal experiences. Skinhook feels that there are so many bands and artists out there who write pretty, happy and uplifting messages.
Sometimes life is not all that hopeful, sometimes life is just hard, and it’s not pretty, and that’s what their music reflects. Sometimes life is pretty ugly and you need something that’s right there with you. Jaymes points out how it’s hard to be depressed and say “Hey I’m going to listen to Katy Perry.” Along with Derrick explaining that one of the best way to get depression out of your system is to simply listen to
things that are indicative of that.
Aspiring goals for the next year of 2018 is to play more shows and bring some bigger touring bands in to town. Skinhook has traveled as far as Clovis, New Mexico to play a show and in the near future, they are looking to play in Dallas/ Fort Worth again, as well as expand to the Oklahoma City area.
Shows can happen with the drop of a hat. At any given time, anyone can call them up and make something happen. Derrick expresses that “in life there are healthy goals and there are unrealistic goals. And it is okay to have unrealistic goals because at the end of the day a goal is a goal. What is a goal even?” They would like to one day play with a band whom they love and respect and who we listen to, such as their inspiration Cannibal Corpse. Jaymes states how incredible it would be to “Just receive a nod from a band we look up to, just to let us know we are doing it right.” Already Derrick feels he has accomplished a major goal which was to “Form a band with like-minded people, and enjoy doing what I do, and everything else that happens after this are piles and piles of icing on top of the cake.” As perfectionists, they plan to finally put together a masterpiece to be released some time in 2018.
If you’re interested in getting a taste of Skinhook, you can look them up on YouTube, or message them and they will personally bring you a sampler CD right to your doorstep. You can also recognize this band and their fans if you ever see “TXDM” letters on the back of their shirt representing Texas Death Metal. This is a way the Death Metal community from across the country can instantaneously recognize and say, “Yes, they are Texas death metal.” If you are new to the area or a longtime follower of Death Metal and would like to see Skinhook in action, their next show is at Fat Albert’s on February 17th. The band feels that they have the vehicle and now can drive somewhere. This band is fun and is meant to be fun. They feel if they can make someone else feel better and cope in some sort of way, then they have done their job.