Skaven-
Discography review
Crusty west coast sludge dirtier
than almost anything of its time, Skaven’s small but sinister discography is a
precursor to the American crust bands of the modern era. Raspy, somewhat discernible vocals, clear but
still animalistic in energy, were not a common vocal type, but went on to be
used fairly frequently. The guitars,
though dirty and tuned down to emphasize heaviness, still possess enough drive
to be “punk”, although this would not succinctly describe Skaven’s sound to any
but the most unfamiliar of individuals.
The bass is blended into the overall guitar sound well, but there does remain
some distinction between them, the former having a very punchy sound. The drums, though the driving force of the
overall sound, are not set in their speed, speeding up and slowing down all
over the songs. The overall mix is
excellent; everything is distinct, clear, well-blended, and alters as is
appropriate for the atmosphere of the sound.
This is also a mix of the dirty punk and metal primitivism and the
unending artsy and melodic complicated-ness, as hardly any bands had done
before this. The lyrics are much the
same- at times primitive, other times artsy, and often mixed together. Too bad this band only lasted for a couple of
years- these songs rip and could have evolved only further. If nothing else, this reminds me slightly of
the evolution of His Hero Is Gone into Tragedy.
-Aunty Social
