If there’s one thing that Skindred isn’t, it is wasting time. Just a year and a half after releasing their last full-length, Kill The Power, the Welshmen enlisted the help of their fans to fund their fifth studio album on PledgeMusic. The end product is Volume, a great effort showcasing the band’s signature sound simply known as “ragga-metal.”
The record opens with the apocalyptic lead single “Under Attack,” a solid way to get things started. The highlight of “Under Attack,” however, is when the song is at its grooviest in the bass-heavy bridge. Though the electronic elements are present in the opener, they really make their entrance with the title track. As a result, “Volume” is a fun dance jam with lots of machismo, which shines through particularly in the song’s chorus. “Hit the Ground” keeps the blood pumping despite not bringing anything new to the table. “Shut Ya Mouth,” on the other hand, brings the heavy in every sense of the word, while showcasing a talkbox-like guitar effect, and even a cowbell at times. While its brevity helps save the first interlude from simply being “filler, “I” still feels a little out of place, as it isn’t an extension of its predecessor nor is it a Segway into “The Healing.” Indeed, that hard-edged tune stands on its own, and the dub outro only adds to its charm.
The head-banging riff on “Sound the Siren” is one of the best from the album, and it, together with the added vocal effects sprinkled throughout, complements the song’s upbeat nature rather well. “Saying It Now” has a neat, almost half-time feel to it, before “II” leads right into the pulsing “Straight Jacket.” In many ways the third and final interlude feels like a reprise of the title track, and it’s no surprise that its title is “III.” In the meantime, the moderately-paced rocker “No Justice” gets its drive from the monstrous bassline. Nothing really stands out about “Stand Up,” but the closer “Three Words” makes up for this with one last driving bassline that stays prominent throughout the entire song. Needless to say, it’s a decent end to Volume.
On their latest effort, the Welsh quintet has once again proven why “there can only be one” ragga-metal band. Volume isn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination, nor does it top any of the band’s first three records, but it is a few steps up from Kill The Power and much of the lackluster that went with it. Overall, Volume encompasses Skindred’s identity rather well; it’s an enjoyable listen for old fans, and a good place to start for new ones.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkJuB656AVc[/youtube]
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