Skullfox – And Thus Is Born

Thanks are extended to Andy from Musoplex studios for this CD. The theory behind this studio is to record bands live to give a more dynamic end result, and to give the listener more of an idea of what the band will sound like on stage. Does it work?

1. Thoughts. Most complex track on the EP by some distance. Starts off with a heavy stoner riff which leads into the opening riff proper; this has a good hook and a nice bounce too. Vocals are clean at this point. First chorus is slightly indistinguishable from the first verse, but that gets rectified later in the track. Guitars get choppier after the second chorus, the vocals enter extreme metal territory, and the tempo is upped. A doom metal section follows before the main riff returns to close the song out. Generally works well, a couple of the links between sections are a bit clumsy unfortunately.
2. Last Drags. Much more laid back opening with a stoner/bluesy feel. Double snare hit works well throughout the early sections. After a fairly predictable verse/chorus x 2 structure the bridge breaks the song up; guitars get some effective pedal-board muffling/distortion before a variation on the main riff returns. Slow-burner solo is the highlight for me which leads into a space rock style section. Final visit to the chorus concludes.
3. Count Me Out. Choppy intro and faster start altogether. Vocals are a bit ragged initially but get back on track quickly enough. This one's the most direct so far, there's a couple of quality screams thrown in for good measure too!
4. Asphyxia. After the minimalist opening the wife was heard to mutter “is this “Fade Out”?” and it certainly has a feel of that particular Radiohead track. It's a slow verse into faster chorus ballad. Love the bass tone on this one and the Thin Lizzy sounding solo was ok. Otherwise it's very predictable, but then I'm not a big ballad fan...
5. All In My Head. Faster track sounds like a cross between The Inbreds and The Lowlifes which I suppose isn't a bad thing... A subdued bridge leads into a reasonable power metal section before the main riff makes another appearance. Reasonable closer.

The theory is good and the production carries it off as this one has a lot more energy than your average studio release. The timing of the band overall is good and the musicianship is more than adequate. Sound falls into the stoner bracket most of the time although there are doom and sleaze influences too. This CD showcases the band well; yes, there's room for improvement but that will come with time. Looking forward to seeing them live soon!