Skrape - New Killer America

Skrape has only one problem, and that's the style they choose to play. It's just nothing new. They slip right into the "dropped-D groove chunk with a melodic twist" genre of bands that are popping up all over the place. The one thing that separates them from others is their singer, who's versatility is unreal. He goes from pissy grind in "what you say" to three part harmony in "isolated" to perry ferrel in "goodbye". Some vocal lines from later tracks reference the melody and attitude of scott weiland, showing melodic prowess. While in other songs, the singer chooses to hit longer notes that are quite unexpected - not sounding totally like what "should" be there. At first, this scared me, but after repeated listens, it's clear what the singer is trying to do, and that's simply sing something that isn't expected. Once you learn what he's attempting and where he's going, it's much easier to listen to. It's one of those new albums that does grow on you, and if you liked taproot the first couple of listens, this would probably be a safe purchase. The extra keyboard parts thrown in by the producer (obviously) add a sort of softness to the otherwise grindy and thickly distorted powerchords. The mix is pretty good. It's a very flat and compressed album, like you're listening to the whole thing on the radio, but that's a trend that's being followed by many producers mixing these newer bands. Good song writing, with a style that's nothing unique - but never the less, a good rock album. This release surely has its share of 5.0 point tracks, but others probably won't impress quite as fast. It's like a fish that you don't know whether to throw back or not. It just depends on what you're fishing for. What the hell am I talking about!? [www.skrape.com]