CoC : Skindred - Roots Rock Riot : Review

Skindred - _Roots Rock Riot_
(Bieler Bros Records, 2008)
by: Quentin Kalis (7 out of 10)

Skindred is a mix of nu-metal with ragga, which is apparently some sort of reggae variant that includes artists such as Shabba Ranks and Shaggy. Nope, I'm not familiar with them and have no desire to hear them. Great if you ever wondered what Korn would sound like if they jammed with Bob Marley and the Wailers. Perhaps not the album likely to strongly resonate with our readers, but it would be dishonest of me to pretend that its mainstream appeal meant it was completely devoid of merit. This includes sections of clean vocal passages with what I assume are (possibly an attempt at) Jamaican intonations. Apart from the occasional vocal stylings, it is situated squarely within the nu-metal universe. The quality varies widely, ranging from the experimental "Destroy the Dancefloor" (can't fault the sentiment) though to songs like "State of Emergency", whose central melody is sickeningly saccharine and sounds as if it were more suited to pop-punk. If a song on the album was recorded with an eye to a single release, this would be it. And I can just see the longhaired brigade switching off the player in disgust at the ska timings of "Rude Boy for Life". It doesn't sound as if the full potential of a crossover is explored, but this is recorded for Karmakeddon warriors, not buffalo soldiers; but at least it sounds more honest than the tired rantings of Fred Durst.

Contact: http://www.skindred.com

(article published 27/4/2008)