Skindred - Babylon

(25 Mar 2011)

Is it just me, or is it really difficult to review Alternative Metal? I mean, here we have a genre that is basically an excuse to fool around with every single other and still sound generic. I'm not saying that all bands within the genre are generic, don't get me wrong. I've already found stuff that changed the way I look at music playing in this style, Skindred included. It's just that it has such an emphasis on single songs that, when you listen to an Alternative Metal album, it's hard to find truly interesting stuff.

Most bands in this genre have their own sound, which is good, but this sound is so restrictive that after 4-5 songs you can't take the predictability anymore. What's more, the artists can change between moods, but you'll be spending the time thinking "And here comes the chorus", and you'll usually be right. The result is one, maybe two outstanding songs per album and the rest doesn't get much of a reaction from the listener at all, apart from maybe the occasional grunt. I used to be cool with that, so when I first heard "Nobody", "Pressure", "Babylon" and "Bruises" four years ago, I was quick to label this band as one of the best and most originalest things ever.

Nowadays, I still think Skindred is quite a good band, and the easy to listen to, infectious style of Alternative Metal with Reggae they're playing on Babylon doesn't get old. Every song has a slightly different mood and works very well individually, but, like I said, as an album, this is nothing special. It starts out promising, is enjoyable if you don't pay much attention to it, but that's about it. It just bleeds the words "commercial" and "unambitious" throughout its runtime. And I know that ambition is practically considered a synonym for "pretentious" around these parts, but I like it. To add insult to injury, the last song also contains a hidden track, to further prove just how safe Skindred were playing here.

Still, this is a fun album.

Standout tracks:

Set It Off
Babylon
Together
Nobody