These three guys hail from Leicester, not the hottest bed of
metal in the UK I think you will agree, but I think that Steve Hill (guitar
& vocals), Matthew Gilmore (Bass and vocals), ‘X’ Ray Peverill (drums) are
about to put Leicester firmly on the map o’metal!
I was lucky to witness Skam supporting both The Answer/ The
Union on their recent UK tour. Such was the power and energy coming off these
guys, they could power half of Leics with their stage energy
Similar to bands like AC/DC and Stones, Skam have a simple
but effective formula – if it aint broke, don’t fuckin fix it! Whilst they
cannot be compared with other 3 pieces like Rush or Muse, Skam do what they set
out to pretty effectively
Opening with ‘Soldiers of Rock’ Skam prove their mission
statement and it is as tight as a gnats chuff. Singer / Guitarist Steve Hill
hasn’t got the full range I’d like from a rock singer, but replaces this with a
raw passion and energy and his style suits the songs perfectly. They veer from
Metallica to Maiden in the space of a few bars – and it’s not a bad comparison
to make, is it? ‘Dead From The Waist Down’ once again pushes all the (and my)
right buttons and has a pretty cool and ever so catchy bridge and chorus. ‘No
Lies’ has a riff straight out of the 80s glam metal scene, and is driven along
by Peverill’s powerful drumming. ‘Massacre’ starts off with a kind of vibe
straight out of Vanilla Fudge’s repertoire. The blues tinged ‘Going Away’ is
where I feel that Skam fit the best. Despite the heavy powerful rockers, ‘Going
Away’ gives Hills voice the best vehicle for his talents. It hits you in
stages, firstly after the first chorus where the drums kick in, and then again
with a Lizzy-esque guitar break, before – wait for it – their own take on what
could easily pass for a ‘Mission Impossible’ theme.
To be totally honest with ya, these no real filler on the
whole cd. ‘Weapon’ is definitely the best of the songs on offer on the second half.
I love this writing malarkey when it springs up something new for me to get my
teeth into and hopefully pass on some new bands that some ‘dyed in the wool’
old farts would never get to try out. If just a few of you go out and buy this
debut from a very promising and home grown UK rock band, then it’s a beautiful
thing indeed.
Skam I’m sure will be making great strides in the near
future and are definitely a band to watch out for in 2012. Catch em live because this is where they shine.
Support your UK rock music people! Skam needs you, and you need Skam!!!!
85/100
Tracklist
1. Soldiers Of Rock
2. Dead From The waist Down
3. No Lies
4. Massacre
5. Going Away
6. Weapon
7. The Touch Of Death
8. Frustration
9. Hold Me Down
10. Revealing
http://www.skamuk.com/bio/
Awesome band...gotta be seen !!!!!
ReplyDeleteTheresa in Leicester :0)
Agreed!!! Leicester rocks!!! Skam are awesome!!!
ReplyDeleteUnique band.they really do rock. . Mitch leicester
ReplyDeleteI only Just read this. Thanks for the great review. Steve
ReplyDelete