I had never heard of "Skindred" and was quite surprised when I found out they were a Welsh rock band that delved into both alternative metal and reggae. Two genres that I have never heard converge.
Production is pretty good considering it's a debut album, actually bearing in mind the sudden changes in sound and instrument focus it holds up very well throughout.
I was at first dismayed when I saw the first song was, rather originally, called "Intro", probably the most common song title in my music collection. But I won't mark them down for this lack of creativity as they certainly make up for it all aspects of this album.
The first real track "Nothing" was something I something the likes my ears have never before had the pleasure of experiencing. The combination of Punk rock reggae at the beginning was certainly enough to keep me entertained but they layered it up with the addition of extremely hard hitting guitars, powering guitars. I loved it, I would never have thought that this odd combination was ever going to be successful but they proved me wrong.
The theme continues throughout the whole album, though not in a monotonous way though. The first track merely showcases their wide sound range. It's not all hard hitting rock/punk though, "Tears" and "The Fear" show a slightly more uplifting side of their fusion sound.
The vocals are one the most impressive pieces of sonic stimulus on the album. Keeping its traditional reggae roots even when you're being blasted his hardcore screaming. The guitarist is quite obviously influenced by Tom Morrelo, his effective guitar riffing and use of a certain digi-tech wammy at the start of "Pressure" and "Set it Off" is fitting with the style of the vocals.
Overall, I think this album is AbFab. It ticks all the boxes of a standout album and a standout band, it does something fresh while still being easy to listen too and is an impressive debut. I look forward to any future releases from Skindred and they are certainly a band to watch for in the coming years.
My Highlights: Nothing / Pressure / The Fear
Score: 4/5
Production is pretty good considering it's a debut album, actually bearing in mind the sudden changes in sound and instrument focus it holds up very well throughout.
I was at first dismayed when I saw the first song was, rather originally, called "Intro", probably the most common song title in my music collection. But I won't mark them down for this lack of creativity as they certainly make up for it all aspects of this album.
The first real track "Nothing" was something I something the likes my ears have never before had the pleasure of experiencing. The combination of Punk rock reggae at the beginning was certainly enough to keep me entertained but they layered it up with the addition of extremely hard hitting guitars, powering guitars. I loved it, I would never have thought that this odd combination was ever going to be successful but they proved me wrong.
The theme continues throughout the whole album, though not in a monotonous way though. The first track merely showcases their wide sound range. It's not all hard hitting rock/punk though, "Tears" and "The Fear" show a slightly more uplifting side of their fusion sound.
The vocals are one the most impressive pieces of sonic stimulus on the album. Keeping its traditional reggae roots even when you're being blasted his hardcore screaming. The guitarist is quite obviously influenced by Tom Morrelo, his effective guitar riffing and use of a certain digi-tech wammy at the start of "Pressure" and "Set it Off" is fitting with the style of the vocals.
Overall, I think this album is AbFab. It ticks all the boxes of a standout album and a standout band, it does something fresh while still being easy to listen too and is an impressive debut. I look forward to any future releases from Skindred and they are certainly a band to watch for in the coming years.
My Highlights: Nothing / Pressure / The Fear
Score: 4/5
Glad you enjoyed it :)
ReplyDeleteThey do have another album out by the way. Its called "Roots Rock Riot" released in 2007...if your interested.
ReplyDeleteYeah I know, I have it :)
ReplyDeleteI was about to say the same to you.