By Beert
Oddly enough, Tickle Your
Taint has presented an opportunity, and I’m somewhat shocked and yet flattered
that I was asked to do a review of a new EP from a band from Arizona—Skull
Drug. Who am I to turn down the opportunity to listen to new music? So, through
a mutual friend between Skull Drug and myself, I was sent links to the songs of
the upcoming, 4-song EP, Hard Times. The EP will be available in CD format and
downloadable. As it stands, the band is working on getting a website/store
together to make things available. But, if you Google the band name, you’ll
find links to their Facebook page, Dying Scene page, Reverbnation.com/skulldrug,
etc.
The EP starts off with
the song “No I Didn’t.” Lyrically, the song is simple and straightforward.
There’s an attitude of living your own life and not needing anyone’s opinion or
approval, and that’s appreciated. “No I Didn’t” is quick, with a couple
instances of some hot licks on guitar, which take away a little from the song.
But, I’ve never been a fan of upfront guitar noodling. The backbone behind “No
I Didn’t” is very solid. The whole thing comes across well. It is like an
updated version of some great late 80s hardcore and thrash.
“Destructive Design” is the
follow up song. The sing-a-long “whoahs” are a very nice touch, giving it a bit
of street punk feel. The guitar sound takes me back to How To Clean
Everything-era
Propagandhi. The song has a serious lyrical bent about self-destructive
behavior, which seems to be aimed outward instead of inward. Lyrics like this
make me think that the writer has lost someone close to something he or she
couldn’t control.
“Disoriented” is the
first song on side 2, if they turn this release into vinyl (hint, hint). This song
I liked and disliked. For anyone who has dealt with depression, I think the
lyrics are relatable. They come across as questions, mostly. And, being someone
who visits the state of depression more than I would like, they are the kind of
questions you ask yourself. The music that holds the song together is very
good. The off-putting element is the guitar wank and volume. There is a lot of
string play, and it overpowers the rest of the song, instead of complimenting
it. I think there is a time and place to showcase fret board skills, but this
song shouldn’t be the one. And it is a bit much.
The EP concludes with “Delusions.”
Before I even finish listening to the song, I have to say, this is a great
song. Vocally, it is total Conflict style. Musically, it is straight ahead and
driving. I wouldn’t call it crust, but there’s some ass-flap wearing and
charged hair influence for sure. Lyrically this song is right on. It is against
wage-slavery and religion-dictated life.
The ties we wear
are strangleholds
The clocks we punch keep us controlled
For a life we live so dreadfully
We sell our souls and think we’re free
The clocks we punch keep us controlled
For a life we live so dreadfully
We sell our souls and think we’re free
Beautifully said. There is some overlay of guitar on this one, and it
works. It does not drown out the rhythm of the song, and accentuates it, moving
as one.
The recording on this EP is a bit too polished for me. It seems to be
missing some of the grit that I’m sure you could catch in a live show from
Skull Drug. But Hard Times is definitely
not a bad EP at all. The musical style is varied, which is nice. And, although
the band labels themselves as thrash punk, I don’t think they can be
pigeonholed into that category. I get a sense of throwback to late 80s hardcore
and some punk, catching some minor bits of Bad Religion and some DRI. Hell, to
be obscure, I caught some Butt Lynt from this recording. And I had flashbacks
to those great late 80s/early 90s shows when I’d go see Butt Lynt play live.
All in all, this is a good solid release from these cats from Arizona. There
are just a few personal things I would like to see cleaned up, but that’s just
my opinion. And they didn’t ask for my opinion, “no they didn’t, no they, no
they, no they didn’t!”
