Skindred – Smile (Earache Records)
One of the most unique bands on the rock bloc, Newport Ragga-Metal band Skindred have been working hard for 15 years now, their live shows are the stuff of legend and their albums give them new anthems to play to the thousands of bouncing fans in front of them at gigs and festivals. They are so unique in their style that they could easily play Glastonbury one week and Download the next, giving both the same set and getting love and warmth from the audience. Its music born of personal experience of all involved, music made to spread joy and for those 30, 45, 60 or 90 minutes make you feel at peace with the world and just lose yourself.
One of the most unique bands on the rock bloc, Newport Ragga-Metal band Skindred have been working hard for 15 years now, their live shows are the stuff of legend and their albums give them new anthems to play to the thousands of bouncing fans in front of them at gigs and festivals. They are so unique in their style that they could easily play Glastonbury one week and Download the next, giving both the same set and getting love and warmth from the audience. Its music born of personal experience of all involved, music made to spread joy and for those 30, 45, 60 or 90 minutes make you feel at peace with the world and just lose yourself.
Music to make you smile, apt then that their eighth album carries this title as Benji Webbe (vocals), Mikey Demus (guitar), Daniel Pugsley (bass) and Arya Goggin (drums), look set to play their biggest show ever this year at Wembley Arena, it’s pitched as if Smile is their coming of age record, their “we made it moment”. Skindred are still defiantly metal at their heart, the hard riffing opener Our Religion, a heavy moment to begin the record, Benji growling and wailing over the riffy guitar wall. The production of Julian Emery and engineering of Pete Hutchings ideal for capturing the force and eclecticism of the ‘Skindred Sound’.
Having been in the writing phase since 2019, when they were touring last album Big Tings, which signalled a shift to becoming the arena band they are, Our Religion speaking of the symbiotic relationship they have with their fans, as does Unstoppable, the duality of the songs reflective of where Skindred came from and where they are. Gimme That Boom is an obvious single, the ragga-metal sound at full force as grooving riffs are met by a repeated chorus, bemoaning the instant gratification seeking of today’s world. Benji scatting over the verses, the drumming moving like sledgehammers as the guitars are pointed and twisted over the top.
After three songs you get the sneaking suspicion that Benji’s return to Dub War has influenced this record as while it’s very Skindred the defiance and heaviness from that band has been brought back to Skindred after the lighter Big Tings. Life That’s Free pairs euphoric choruses with DnB/Dubstep breakbeats and rock riffage, If I Could a groover as L.O.V.E (Smile Please) is full reggae/dub from their debut album, debuted at Download it will probably stay in their set for years to come in some iteration, This Appointed Love continuing the Reggae theme with a laid back delivery at the beginning before the riffs come back in for the chorus.
I mentioned the debut Babylon and Smile feels as fresh as that 2002 record as Skindred realise on record what people have known about them for years as live act, they are incendiary. It’s about the dynamics, the songs speak for themselves but the use of different genres, socially conscious lyrics and a sense of fun that pervades through everything, which is key to Skindred’s popularity. At one moment they’ll do something political such as the gospel influenced Black Stars or the electronic State Of The Union, then something sociological like Addicted which invokes 90’s hip hop or the reggae flair of Mama.
Smile could be the most rounded record Skindred have produced, it’s a real celebration of the group and the perfect aperitif for what they have planned for Wembley. As with anything related to the band it invokes memories of my friend and frequent contributor Neil Lewis who sadly passed away in 2022, he’d have loved this album and I’m sure he’d have driven us all mad by talking about it. He’d have been in the front row at the OVO Arena and I hope to be too. Until then though Smile and enjoy this ride as it’s gone in a flash. 9/10
The Crawling - All Of This For Nothing (Grindscene Records)
Onto something miserable. For fans of Paradise Lost, any of the Peaceville Three and even Sentenced, The Crawling are a Northern Irish based death/doom band. Perhaps it’s because it rains all bloody year in the country but they do well with the heavier doom sound, it’s the combination of dreary weather, melancholic poetry, empty vistas of nothingness and feeling of ennui that lends itself to a the disconnected romance and hidden frustration/tension they have as a nation. The Crawling encompass much of these feelings in their music, their third album All Of This For Nothing see them delving to heavier depths of death metal but also climbing to more melodic peaks of atmospheric doom, the long gestation of this album since 2018’s Wolves And The Hideous White, sharpening he focus while also adding more expression.
Onto something miserable. For fans of Paradise Lost, any of the Peaceville Three and even Sentenced, The Crawling are a Northern Irish based death/doom band. Perhaps it’s because it rains all bloody year in the country but they do well with the heavier doom sound, it’s the combination of dreary weather, melancholic poetry, empty vistas of nothingness and feeling of ennui that lends itself to a the disconnected romance and hidden frustration/tension they have as a nation. The Crawling encompass much of these feelings in their music, their third album All Of This For Nothing see them delving to heavier depths of death metal but also climbing to more melodic peaks of atmospheric doom, the long gestation of this album since 2018’s Wolves And The Hideous White, sharpening he focus while also adding more expression.
The militaristic beat of Gary Beattie begins March Of The Worm with a nod to Holst before Andy Clarke brings tremolo picking and Stuart Rainey adds the grinding doom bass for the loud and raging opener. The intensity managed well on Another Vulture, with the dark death metal and lighter leads merging well, it’s a brilliant track with numerous shifts in style and sound the melancholic moments destroyed by the constricting doom, Andy’s growls doing well in both setting. It falls neatly into Thy Nazarene, the mere thought of a Northern Irish band doing a religious track being dangerous, but the track itself is as affecting as it should be, this anti-religious motif a part of their music as much as the death/doom style.
The production is ideal to show the full breadth of this trio, the space afforded to Bound To The Negative, the slow dissonance of A Light We Cannot See and the propulsion of Leaving The Skin all benefiting from the masterful production. Closing with a reworked version of 2021 single Sparrow, All Of This For Nothing, is the soundtrack to the endless monotony of life, misery incarnate, it’s no comfort but possibly catharsis. 9/10
Edward Reekers - The Liberty Project (Music Theories Recordings/Mascot Label Group)
A concept/rock opera/double album from Dutch progressive rock legend Edward Reekers (ex-Kayak) is just as expansive, musically and lyrically dense as you'd expect from a man who has spent years under the progressive rock banner. His first solo album in 15 years, he like fellow Dutch savant Arjen Lucassen has done so many times before, has recruited numerous high profile guests to flesh out the cinematic approach of this album, a track such as Remember The Fallen Celebrate Life, featuring swelling orchestrals and beautiful piano from Joost van den Broek (Ayreon, ex-After Forever), Reekers' collaborative partner on this album. His contributions perfect for showing you just how cinematic this album is.
Reekers has been involved in the music and movie industry for years as both a backing singer for big acts as well as the singer for Kayak and Ayreon (yeah there's the link) but also he's a voice actor having appeared on many blockbusters so there's the obvious link to why this albums sounds the way it does. Reekers wrote all the lyrics and composed the music, played by Koen Herfst on drums, Mark Bogert on guitars, Johannes Adema on bass, and Van den Broek along with a string section, a mixed choir and even a children's choir, it's epic in scope based around the pop prog vocals of Reekers, the whiff of Lloyd Webber coming on Liberty and As Good As Any Goal, a duet with Cindy Oudshoorn also of Kayak. She appears numerous times on the album but there's some winning performances from Arjen Lucassen on the heavy prog of The Disease which also has John' Jaycee' Cuijpers of Praying Mantis on it.
While professional guest vocalist Damian Wilson appeared twice upping the theatrics as The Clash Of Belief has the unmistakable guitar playing of Steve Hackett. The idea behind the album is that if there was a second Big Bang would it created a parallel world. The story is told of 17 tracks which vary in style much like Ayreon, Jeff Wayne's War Of The Worlds and Trans Siberian Orchestra, from prog rock to pop, pomp to heavy metal, the Prologue and Epilogue similar so it's a perfect link, Two Lifetimes bringing electronica and a bit of John Barry. The Liberty Project is Reekers claiming back the pomposity of prog with a huge conceptual record, the sort of thing that comes across numerous vinyl records, and features a huge lyric sheet to paw over. 8/10
Any Given Sin – War Within (Mascot Records)
Mascot Records has become the home for so many of the American radio rock bands, so it’s a tight fit for Any Given Sin who remind me of Shinedown, Pop Evil and also Disturbed with their massive canyon guitar riffs, anthemic choruses delivered with emotion and conviction but more importantly they are songs that are already built for arenas. After the rocky opener Calm Before The Storm is the first true exhibition of Any Given Sin’s ability as they bring sky-scraping hooks with catchy rock anthems. The vocals of Victor Ritchie adaptable but very similar to Brent Smith, the rest of this four piece Mike Conner (guitars), Rich Stevenson (bass) and Mike Showalter (drums) all giving the record it’s musical power.
Edward Reekers - The Liberty Project (Music Theories Recordings/Mascot Label Group)
A concept/rock opera/double album from Dutch progressive rock legend Edward Reekers (ex-Kayak) is just as expansive, musically and lyrically dense as you'd expect from a man who has spent years under the progressive rock banner. His first solo album in 15 years, he like fellow Dutch savant Arjen Lucassen has done so many times before, has recruited numerous high profile guests to flesh out the cinematic approach of this album, a track such as Remember The Fallen Celebrate Life, featuring swelling orchestrals and beautiful piano from Joost van den Broek (Ayreon, ex-After Forever), Reekers' collaborative partner on this album. His contributions perfect for showing you just how cinematic this album is.
Reekers has been involved in the music and movie industry for years as both a backing singer for big acts as well as the singer for Kayak and Ayreon (yeah there's the link) but also he's a voice actor having appeared on many blockbusters so there's the obvious link to why this albums sounds the way it does. Reekers wrote all the lyrics and composed the music, played by Koen Herfst on drums, Mark Bogert on guitars, Johannes Adema on bass, and Van den Broek along with a string section, a mixed choir and even a children's choir, it's epic in scope based around the pop prog vocals of Reekers, the whiff of Lloyd Webber coming on Liberty and As Good As Any Goal, a duet with Cindy Oudshoorn also of Kayak. She appears numerous times on the album but there's some winning performances from Arjen Lucassen on the heavy prog of The Disease which also has John' Jaycee' Cuijpers of Praying Mantis on it.
While professional guest vocalist Damian Wilson appeared twice upping the theatrics as The Clash Of Belief has the unmistakable guitar playing of Steve Hackett. The idea behind the album is that if there was a second Big Bang would it created a parallel world. The story is told of 17 tracks which vary in style much like Ayreon, Jeff Wayne's War Of The Worlds and Trans Siberian Orchestra, from prog rock to pop, pomp to heavy metal, the Prologue and Epilogue similar so it's a perfect link, Two Lifetimes bringing electronica and a bit of John Barry. The Liberty Project is Reekers claiming back the pomposity of prog with a huge conceptual record, the sort of thing that comes across numerous vinyl records, and features a huge lyric sheet to paw over. 8/10
Any Given Sin – War Within (Mascot Records)
Mascot Records has become the home for so many of the American radio rock bands, so it’s a tight fit for Any Given Sin who remind me of Shinedown, Pop Evil and also Disturbed with their massive canyon guitar riffs, anthemic choruses delivered with emotion and conviction but more importantly they are songs that are already built for arenas. After the rocky opener Calm Before The Storm is the first true exhibition of Any Given Sin’s ability as they bring sky-scraping hooks with catchy rock anthems. The vocals of Victor Ritchie adaptable but very similar to Brent Smith, the rest of this four piece Mike Conner (guitars), Rich Stevenson (bass) and Mike Showalter (drums) all giving the record it’s musical power.
The tracks are all about spreading positivity, triumph over adversity, unifying their fan base with them in a reciprocal relationship where the music is supposed to be the escape, telling you that no matter what troubles you have you can overcome it. Whether through the big, cathartic rock anthems or the ballads such as Cold Bones which draws it’s lyrics from Ritchie’s military background and how many of his friends killed themselves due to PTSD. It will definitely resonate with the listener, especially if you have lost someone, Ritchie and the band drawing from their own experiences to increase resolve and determination.
War Within follows a tried and tested formula for this style of American radio-friendly rock music. Songs written to be sung back, with enough heaviness and melody to have a wide audience, its slick and measured for maximum impact. Any Given Sin will surely be heard on radios around the world with this record, so listen out for them. 7/10