I remember when Skindred's Babylon came out; I had never heard that mix of reggae, metal and punk rock done in such a way. Then again, I was too young and missed out on Dub War and wasn't yet that familiar with Bad Brains. Nevertheless, I still consider that debut and second release, Roots Rock Riot, great records. However, the records since then have been questionable and just lacked that punch in the balls that they had before.
The band will release their sixth studio album, Volumes, through Napalm Records on 30th October. From it, comes Under Attack. Both the song itself and the video brings back memories of the Babylon era. The riff, although nothing special, is heavy and the whole vibe in general is energetic and tough. Benji's vocals have always been interesting and HR-like (Bad Brains), but in recent years, it just hasn't quite been the same. Here, that extra venom is back, especially in his rapping near the end. The auto-tune in the middle parts might be off putting to some but I think Skindred are one of those bands who can get away with it.
The video itself reminds me of the first time I saw the Nobody video; it's a similar concept. The band plays in a dark room to an audience of both moshers and dancehall/hip hop dancers. That to me is what Skindred was and I am glad that ethos of bringing those two worlds together is still intact.
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