SKULLKiD is located in Rapid City, South Dakota and recently released Grave. The band says they describe their sound as poppy punk with synth sounds and “we try to incorporate influences from pop punk, hardcore, synth pop, metalcore, indie rock and alternative genres into all of our music.” The band felt predominantly pop punk especially on some songs.
“Grave Meant for Two” is the opener and sounds like a B-side from Blink 182 and in fact the vocal melody sounds similar to one of their more popular songs. The song has all the criteria of pop punk. I suppose you could make an argument that the synth gives it a slightly different flavor but for the most part this is pop punk 101. The next song “1270” still has strong pop punk influence but this song does incorporate a little from hardcore and metal. It’s a catchy tune and I like how the vocals change from the verse to the chorus. On the verse he sounds wild and then on the chorus the vocal melody matches with the guitar line. The best part is before the two-minute mark where the song sounds like it’s about to boil over. “Paper Lanterns” gets more into hardcore punk like NOFX and Blood Brothers. I loved the fast paced and anxious feeling to this song. Props to the drummer for staying in the pocket. The song has this hum to it as well and then it goes into this metal/post-rock type of section and then once again the BPM increases and they rock out. This was the most original sounding song yet. “The Sadness Will Last Forever” is sort of this drone metal type song at first and transitions into a fast paced rock song. The punk aesthetics are the least recognizable on this song. It’s cool and definitely a different side to their sound. I like where the band's head is. They are trying out different styles, genres and colors. My critique is that they haven't figured out how to combine all things into a signature sound. It’s not quite yet there where each song has that X-factor which defines who they are and how people will recognize them. It does feel close to me though and I feel like that could happen on their next release. Overall, I thought this was a very solid release from a talented band. They sound good, are technically impressive and can write a tune. I predict good things to come but this EP provides a lot to appreciate. Take a listen.
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