MetalSucks

Benji Webbe is like the Mike Patton of reggae metal… or something. Many bands followed in the footsteps of Dub War but none approached the creative genius of that band. He’s a total badass and strikes me as kind of a weird/interesting dude, too.

So Benji’s new(er) band Skindred have a new mini-album Shark Bites and Dog Fights out September 22, and a video for the first single “Stand for Something” came out last week. It’s predictably pretty solid and positive in tone… par for the course for Skindred. One day perhaps this band will go on tour in the U.S. with bands that don’t suck and I will finally get to see them live.

-VN

By all accounts I should hate Skindred. They border on nu-metal and there’s nothing particularly innovative about their sound. Yet even though these Brits didn’t invent reggae-metal, they do a damn fine job of it and have put out plenty of quality material. There’s nothing particularly spectacular about their latest video for “Trouble” either, but just watching Benji Webbe do his thing is enough for me. Plus, there are choice lyrical nuggets like this one:

“why so close up to me? / dangerous place to be / and you’re rockin’ halitosis, a little. // Do you think I wear a vest? Putting me to the test / you’re gonna get yourself in a pickle.”

If that’s not tr00 / br00tal / kvlt, then for fuck’s sake I don’t know what is.

-VN

MetalSucks takes a quick look at the latest releases from alt-metal stalwarts Nonpoint and Reggae-metallers Skindred. Our brief opinions and ratings after the jump.

Click to read more…

Obviously Skindred aren’t the first band to infuse reggae into metal (see Bad Brains, Living Colour, and I’m sure many others), but Dub War — featuring Benji Webbe from Skindred — may have been the first to inject a dose of straight dub. Dub War put out four records on the legendary Earache label between 1995 and 1998. Enjoy this video for the title track of 1996’s Enemy Maker — dig those dubbed out guitars, snare echoes, and ragga vocals. Way ahead of its time.

Skindred’s new album Roots Rock Riot came out yesterday (Oct. 23) on Bieler Bros. records.

-VN

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