Skindred – Babylon

Welcome to the Islands Mon! (of Metal)

When a band comes along marketed as “RAGGA-PUNK-METAL,” a few expressions come mind, namely “Whaa?????” Bring on Skindred, the UK’s newest import to the world of rock, or should that be world of reggae? Formalities and genres aside, what Skindred does bring to the masses with their debut Babylon is an energy-infused album guaranteed to raise your eyebrows and bob your head. Babylon is considered the “cradle of civilization,” a very ancient city. But there is nothing ancient about the sound that Skindred brings forth. Metallic, crunchy riffs and hardcore dry-lung screams are only half of what you’ll hear on Babylon. The other half is straight-from-the-islands reggae, resulting in a sometimes chaotic, always entertaining blend of dub and distortion. An elastic range in quickly-changing vocals coincides with the even quicker changing pace of rhythm in each song, ranging from the supremely hard rock to the lowest key of reggae.

ame Mixing genres is never easy, and Skindred’s sonic assault doesn’t always come together seamlessly, especially with the sometimes awkward high pitched guitar work. But more often than not, it just simply works. Songs like “Nobody” and “Set it Off” highlight an incredibly progressive and innovative attempt at blending two genres that couldn’t be more different. The music industry is also taking notice, with nu-metal Godfathers Korn opting to take the band on tour with them. Indeed, Babylon combines the love and energy of two musically powerful genres into a hard-hitting, solid debut for Skindred.