Blog Post
SKINDRED - 'SMILE'
Laura DQ • Aug 13, 2023
Album Review
It seems unbelievable that Skindred have been around for more than 20 years. Despite a reputation as one of the best live acts in the business, it’s only now that the Welsh four piece are gaining significant momentum, selling out tour dates across the UK, hitting up the cavernous Wembley Arena next year for a massive headline performance and entering the charts at number two with new album ‘Smile’. Could it be that the time of ‘ragga-metal’ is finally upon us? ‘Smile’ is the suitably schizophrenic soundtrack to Skindred’s ascent; a record that meshes heavy metal urgency with reggae’s laid-back cool.
The bludgeoning ‘Our Religion’ bursts with ferocious energy, Benji Webbe’s aggressive vocal spat over the most deliciously dirty riffing. ‘Gimme That Boom’ is the kind of party starting anthem on which Skindred have built their reputation, confrontational but impossibly catchy. ‘Set Fazers’ doesn’t just maintain the momentum, it kicks it up a notch, a track that somehow lends itself to dancing and head-banging all at once. It’s utterly irresistible, the aural equivalent of an adrenaline rush and surely a set-list staple from now on.
The clever blending of styles dominates ‘Life That’s Free’. Though it starts with a (slightly disconcerting) hip-hop feel, the heavy guitars and commanding rhythm section return to remind us that this is a metal record; though admittedly, not your average metal record. Webbe’s impressively diverse vocals are at times melodic and tuneful, at others low down and growling. Similarly, ‘If I Could’ presents itself as a poppy, hook-laden, almost ballad; at least until Arya Goggin’s drums count in an unexpected breakdown that hits all the harder for the juxtaposition.
Bang in the middle of the album ‘L.O.V.E. (Smile Please)’ throws a distinct curveball. Though the reggae influence has always been apparent it’s never been played quite so straight. It’s a real summer tune, uplifting, conjuring a relaxed, beach vibe. Rock purists might have a problem with this or the ska leaning ‘This Appointed Love’ that follows but I’m not sure what they’re doing listening to Skindred anyway! The surprises keep coming, from the electronic grooves of ‘State of the Union’ to the almost funky ‘Addicted’.
Masters of the memorable chorus, ‘Black Stars’ goes all out, the hand claps and addition of a choir upping the grandiosity. It's perhaps surprising to discover Skindred can do subtlety too, ‘Mama’ rides a relaxed reggae groove and stays there for the duration. ‘Unstoppable’, though, is a return to the familiar, a big, anthemic banger with a filthy slowed down riff that makes you want to move.
If this album doesn’t make you smile, you’re listening to it wrong. Successfully confounding expectations of how a metal band should sound from the start, there is more to Skindred than you might expect. Start practicing your Newport Helicopter and don't miss the tour later this year.