UNION BLACK [CD]

I discovered Skindred when they were supporting Rob Zombie with Revoker (whose first album Benji Webbe has produced. Can't wait) and think they are one of the most innovative bands of recent times. They take multiple genres and fit them together neatly. Union Black is no exception; in fact, it goes further than previous albums and incorporates dance into the mix.

The album has relevant messages to emote, and lyrically it is brilliant, but let's move past that and focus on the overall sound of each song.

"Union Black" is an electronic subverted British national anthem. A great intro.

As this ends we are thrown into the starkly contrasting atmosphere of "Warning". The opening riff carries so much energy, and Webbe's voice sounds fantastic. The song gives "Nobody" some serious competition. Jacoby Shaddix's input only strengthens the melody. It's also a blast to hear live.

"Cut Dem" - a perfect example of how Skindred incorporate electronic sounds into their music. They have mastered it, and made it work wonderfully. I'm hooked.

"Doom Riff" is the most catchy song I have heard in ages. It's one of the heaviest, but also one of the most melodic. This will be essential on the set list.

"Living A Lie" - This is where it gets interesting. It opens with an electronic sound, and then breaks into raw metal. It even has rap, and it works. The aggression comes across very strongly, and the melody breaks the song up. Fantastic. One of my favorites.

"Guntalk" is pure reggae. Despite the disturbing veracity of the lyrics, it's a relaxing song. I've never heard anything like it. The slow reggae rhythm changes to an upbeat dance rhythm, and you realise what a unique track this is.

"Own You" is the heaviest track on the album. It's also the most straightforward. I honestly don't have much to say about it. It's pretty good, but not one of the best.

"Make Your Mark" - this is very upbeat and positive, in contrast to "Own You"'s dark concept. The chorus forces you to headbang. It proves Webbe's vocal skills hands down. The range of genres this song crosses is uncountable.

"Get it Now" - This is probably the weakest track, but that doesn't mean it's bad. It's great. It's a lot calmer, is structured well, and has some interesting moments. It's also about 30 seconds too long. The chorus regurgitates softly at the end, but I don't see any reason for it. It would have been more concise without this segment.

"Bad Man Ah Bad Man" - A song about playing live, and the energy a show encompasses. This energy is reflected through the chorus. Demus' guitar packs one hell of a punch, and Webbe creates melody with clean vocals. Another highlight of the album.

"Death to All Spies" - The opening riff is addictive, then the verses tone it down, and finally it crescendo's into the slick chorus, and then the pattern begins again. Catchy, addictive, the perfect balance of heaviness, melody, and electronic music. Superb!

"Game Over" - How better to end a great album but with a track with the aspects which make "Cut Dem" and "Doom Riff" so enslaving! A snappy and punchy song. The sudden ending only gets me ready to scroll back to track 1 and listen to it all over again.

There you go. To summarise, this is the most experimental album I have heard in the last ten years. Fans will not be disappointed. It is very different to previous Skindred albums, but it retains their classic traits. Don't miss out.

Highlights:
Cut Dem
Doom Riff
Guntalk
Bad Man Ah Bad Man
Game Over

By the way, this is not just an initial reaction. I've been listening to the album all day. I'm hooked. It's like cocaine in my iPod

I only picked up this album as the track Make your Mark is on the latest freebee from Classic Rock magazine. And to be honest at first I wondered what the hell it was doing on there as this is anything but "Classic" rock. But to show you CAN teach and old dog new tricks, I was blown away by the track and even more so by the album. Tou could put this alongside Fat of the Land era Prodigy - or a more modern cross-reference might be Pendulum, but this is more esoteric and varied than either of these bands tonking out a rabid mix of techno, reggae, soul and huge blasts of metal as it does. This is one of the freshest and most original albums I have heard for years and I hope the crossover potential here is appreciated by the fans of the various genres represented here and they don't get all sniffy about having to listen to the "other" stuff. Open your ears guys and accept that just occasionally a truly cross-genre masterpiece comes along and we should all be grateful.

My love of Skindred comes from seeing them live, Benji Webbe has got to be one of the best front men for any band and absolutely loves being up on stage. And so it's the live performances of songs like Bruises, Trouble and Nobody that made me love the albums... until this one came along.

Easily the most accessible album to the uninitiated (have even caught the missus singing along to it) and, in my opinion, the best album to date!

Album kicks off with a 'remix' of our national anthem followed by the infamous Jacoby Shaddix's cameo in Warning, which just gets more rocking the more I listen to it, and the louder you play it the better it sounds. The dub-step/metal cross over for Cut Dem is brilliantly executed and in general the increased reggae influence on the album is noticeable, especially with Guntalk - a pure reggae track which then slips smoothly into a bit of dance. Bad Man Ah Bad Man is probably my favourite track on the album to generally listen to, although Doom Riff live is just a pleasure. Basically, it's impossible to listen to this album without cranking it up and jumping around the house.

If you love Skindred, then you'll love this. If you don't love Skindred, give this a go and it will change your mind, and if you've never heard any sort of `raggametal' before, then this is the introduction you need.

More than anything else though - GO SEE THEM LIVE!