Album Review: Band of Skulls – Himalayan
5 years on from debut album is when some band starts to fracture (if they’re shit) or start experimenting (if they’re shit), but very few manage to keep the same style half a decade on. And this is what makes Band of Skulls latest offering ‘Himalayan’ such a fascinating prospect, it’s almost identical to their earlier work, but more mature, meatier and well, better. I know how strange and confusing that must sound, but it’s true.
The Southampton trio released their third album ‘Himalayan’ today and it’s a tearing ride around the base, up the side, to the summit of the mountain and then does it 11 more times. The love child of mid 00’s swampy guitar bands like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Wolfmother and Blues Rock groups like The White Stripes and The Black Keys, Band of Skulls have managed to carve out their own identity fairly easily, and rightly so because it feels like their first two albums were the build up to the lift off that is so triumphant on ‘Himalayan’.
Opening with ‘Asleep at The Wheel’ fosters a sticky and hypnotic guitar riff that Black Sabbath would be proud of rumbling to the point where lead singer Russell Marsden and backing vocalist Emma Richardson let us know “where we are going is anyone’s guess” but their trajectory is pretty clear, predictable but wildly entertaining.
The first half of the record follows suit with stuttering swampy riff that engulfs title track ‘Himalayan’, the delightfully glam-rocked tinged ‘Hoochie Coochie’ and the strutting beat and melody of ‘Brothers and Sisters’. Like an ice cold alcoholic beverage (you choose) at the end of the day, a bit of respite from ‘Cold Sweat’ is a great opportunity for Richardson to show off her gorgeous and velvety vocals which are wrongfully hidden far too much.
‘Nightmares’ however is the most ambitious track on the collection with a fairly U2 sized riff and soaring chorus, but it works, mainly due to the twisting melody, one that is fairly similar to ‘Bruises’ off their sophomore album ‘Sweet Sour’. At points it does feel a bit too similar to other artists work as ‘I Guess I Know You Fairly Well’ treads similar ground that The Black Keys have beaten down on their latest work but it explodes with a gigantic riff that is hard to ignore.
‘I Feel Like Ten Men, Nine Dead and One Dying’ is another massive track with another pure headbanging riff that would appease even the heaviest of rock fans. ‘Toreador’ is the albums funkiest affair and has the potential to be a surefire dance floor filler with a jittery, hip shaking guitar and bassline with a marching rhythm that is seductively brilliant.
The final two tracks annoyingly, are more of a whimper than a big blowout but ‘Heaven’s Key’ and ‘Get Yourself Together’ are two interesting tracks that mix up the vibe enough that the stomping tunes that arrive before hand are even more fun and keeps the slower tracks engaging enough through to the very last track.
Listening to this album is quietly similar to the giant leaps into the mainstream Biffy Clyro started making on ‘Puzzle’ and then carried on ever since, and it’s fair to say that Band of Skulls can keep that path going if the quality of material carries on being this high.
Most importantly ‘Himalayan’ isn’t just the band rehashing old material and hoping for the best, it’s taking the logical step of refining, re-tuning and re-imagining what they initially set up to do 5 years ago on ‘Baby Darling Doll Face Honey’. The vivid, colorful and straight up exciting path Band of Skulls explore on ‘Himalayan’ is sure to propel them the top of the mountain and the pack.
7.5/10
Key Tracks: Hoochie Coochie, Brothers and Sisters and Asleep at The Wheel.
You can stream the album below or buy the album from their website here.
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