Customer Reviews

Babylon

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Rediculously delicious blend of hard rock and reggae. From beginning to end the album is a thrill. It's a unique sound so it won't get old quick. I have heard the single "nobody" on the radio only twice, in two different cities, so I imagine that not a lot of people are hip to this group. Help spread this by word of mouth becuase anyone you play it for is sure to fall in love with it. So long as they share the same musical taste of course.

Skindred is a great hybrid of raggae, hardcore, dance hall ,pop, and metal to make a great sound that is rarely heard in music today. It's just a shame that most of the music industry just doesn't follow suit. At least thease guys try to march foward to a new insted of trying to regurgitate an old sound.

SKINDRED is without a doubt one of the most unique bands to bless the scene with it's presence in a long time. With Howard Benson (P.O.D.) producing and Rick Will (Incubus) mixing, their debut has the arsenal for warranted success. They have put together two transparently contrasting styles of music and developed a signature style that they can openly admit they originated. They have copied no one and didn't "borrow" concepts from any other band. Instead, they took the risk and mixed reggae (or "dreadhead" if you will) with metal and out came a stunning record that will inevitably spawn a score of bands trying to emulate this exceptional sound. It is as aggressive as the latin metal bands like ILL NINO and SOULFLY but with the soul of reggae and the bounce of BOB MARELY. Reggae commonly has a sub conscious pulse that will provoke anyone to move along in time with the catchy beats and yet, SKINDRED used that mold as the foundation for insane metal overtones. This record will be an important one for 2004 and will be always remembered for destroying musical boundaries that were at one time etched in stone. SKINDRED can only get better from this point on. They have set a difficult tone for others seeking to capitalize on this brand new style of music. Their BABYLON debut is hopefully just the beginning of a long and appreciated career as a band who genuinely did something different. If you aren't at the very least able to appreciate the atmosphere of reggae then you will lose out on the incarnation of music that transcends any genre. In essence, if you love music with a good beat and healthy aggression but isn't overtly commercial, SKINDRED'S debut is destined to be a part of your life.

Don't expect every song to be heavy. I listened to the track Nobody and it was heavy and great, but I only found like 5 other tracks that were like it. Don't go buy this because this because they say they sound like Korn because they don't. No curses or heavy guitar. The vocals are one thing that made this cd great. The vocals are awesome on most tracks. I didn't like the 3 interludes and the intro because it made you feel like it was a rap album. I don't like rap at all.

I take this group as being a mixture of the bands Grade 8 and Sublime. They kind of mix all kinds of music(heavy, rock, ragga) into one cd which was kind of cool.

Overall this cd is well worth 11 dollars because it is something new and it will fit anyones taste of music.

TRACK RATINGS:
1-Intro-(:29)-N/A
2-Nobody-(3:55)-10/10
3-Pressure-(3:28)-10/10
4-Start First-(2:48)-8/10
5-Interlude 1-(:16)-N/A
6-Selector-(2:23)-7/10
7-Bruises-(2:39)-10/10
8-Interlude 2-(:27)-N/A
9-Set it Off-(3:03)-10/10
10-Firing the Love-(3:37)-9/10
11-Tears-(3:00)-9/10
12-World Domination-(2:23)-10/10
13-The Fear-(3:45)-9/10
14-Interlude 3-(:26)-N/A
15-Babylon-(3:34)-10/10
16-The Beginning of Sorrows-(4:00)-8/10
17(Extra)-3:56)-8/10

In a world full of nu-metal bands that all sound and look the same, and base their success off of music videos, it's refreshing to see Skindred emerge into the rock scene. Though they're not big in the U.S., and probably never will be with their current label, they are still one of today's most creative bands, blending elements of hardcore, punk, trip-hop, and, wait for it...reggae! Frontman Benji's vocals add a funky Jamaican/Carribean twist to the music, and his lyrics are inetersting as well, especially when he uses his native dialects. In a way, Skindred is almost like Pantera meets Bob Marley, with a stronger atmosphere to their music.

"Set It Off" gives the album a nice start, offering a catchy, groovy beat with the strangest lyrics ever. Actually, I'll be honest, any track off this album will get you dancing, it's the nature behind their music. "Nobody" slows things down a bit, but is probably one of my favorites. The title track is awesome, along with "Selector", both contributing to the album's flow. My two favorites, however, are "Pressure" and "Falling Down" because they have the most clever melodies and the catchiest rhythms. Honestly, there isn't one weak song on here (though I don't listen to "The Fear" much, way too hiphop for my tastes.

Basically, if you like heavy metal, and are sick of boring bands like Hatebreed and Mudvayne, Skindred is sure to please.

This is probably the best debut album for any band ever. This is good stuff, it breaks the mold of so many genres and creates its own, and this is in their first album! At first I thought the album would be too much reggae and not heavy enough for my tastes, but rest assured it is plenty of heavy, plenty of screaming mixed with reggae-esque singing, lots of grinding guitars mixed with plenty of lighter ones. This one of the few bands that I honestly can not find anything to compare them to, you really do have to listen to them to understand, I had similar thoughts for Korn and System of a Down, so if you like them I would check this out (of course even if you don't like Korn or System of a Down you should listen to this anyways), and Skindred really sounds even more unique than any other band I've ever heard, they definetly prove there are still some artists out there and not just bands.

Bands that fuse reggae with punk/nu-metal are nothing new. Bands like P.O.D. and (hed)p.e. spring to mind immediately, but no one has done it as well and as authentically as Skindred have. On the 2004 re-release of their breakthrough album, "Babylon," we are given sixteen songs meant to lift us up, make us wanna move and make us wanna press repeat over and over. With a self-defined genre called Raggapunk, Skindred have stumbled upon a completely original sound. Everything under the sun, from hip-hop to metal, from punk to reggae is covered by these guys. If you want something that rocks a little differently, "Babylon" is the album for you.

Sounds Like: A collage of styles.

The Good:
- All sixteen tracks are solid and offer something different.
- Benji's amazing vocals, which seem to be able to handle anything from a whisper to a scream.
- Solid production by Howard Benson (Papa Roach, Hoobastank) and Jason Bieler (Nonpoint, Primer 55).

The Bad:
- It's been re-released so many times!

Hits: "Nobody" and "Pressure" got good radio-play, and "Bruises" "Set If Off" and "The Beginning Of Sorrows" are equally as good.

Future: "Babylon" has done fairly well in it's day, and with their next album, I can see these guys getting even bigger.

Personally: Skindred are one of those rare bands that sounds absolutely nothing like anyone else, which is always a good thing in my book. The songs are solid, competent and fun to listen to. There is not an ounce of negativity to be found in "Babylon."

Best Listened To When: You're in the mood for anything.

A refreshing change of pace from today's mainstream rock, while still having appeal for fans of that same music. If you like any of the following bands, you will like this: The Police, Faith No More, Disturbed, Rancid, Saliva, Ra, and System of a Down. The first two songs on the album (the first track is not a song), which you may have heard on the radio if your local station is cool enough, are the best. There is plenty of other stuff on the album that is good at first listen and grows more enjoyable with repeat play. Not an instant classic, but an excellent debut for Skindread.

This album is simply amazing. Skindred does something that nobody else has attempted to do: blend reggae, rap/hip-hop/r&b, and rock. Hard rock, for that matter. "Bruises" and "Star First" even come close to edging on metal. But "Nobody" and "Pressure" are clearly hip-hop influenced, with an obvious reggae edge to the entire album. All in all, it's an excellent album. Admittedly, it can begin to feel repetitive, and I generally don't even listen to "Beginning of Sorrow," but I would say that if you're into experimental albums where the band isn't afraid of trying new things, get your hands on Babylon. However, if you're a musical purist (which is fine, but not me) then I would steer clear of Skindred and find something else more definable.

Long story short, this is the most interesting album I have bought in a long time. At first the very idea of a reggae metal fusion sounds like it would NEVER work. However, Skindred pulls it off beautifully.

The track that initally drew me in was "Nobody" (I heard it on the radio) because of the hard riffs coupled with the very uniique vocals. After hearing the song a couple times I had to get this CD. The rest of the CD is filled with the same level of energy and excitement. My other favorites are "Set It Off" and " Selector" because they seem to be more upbeat and more fun, if that makes the least bit of sense.

The only reason I didn't give this CD 5 stars is because the whole CD just seemed a little too radio friendly and upbeat. But I just attribute this to the fact that I mostly listen to Slipknot, Rage Against the Machine, and The Polyphonic Spree (Think about that for a while!!!!). All in all, I HIGHLY recommend anyone getting this CD.