{"id":17774,"date":"2014-02-28T00:00:29","date_gmt":"2014-02-28T00:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/?p=17774"},"modified":"2014-03-05T13:02:23","modified_gmt":"2014-03-05T13:02:23","slug":"album-review-skintrade-refueled","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/album-review-skintrade-refueled\/","title":{"rendered":"SKINTRADE – Refueled (2014) | Album \/ EP Reviews @ Metal Forces Magazine"},"content":{"rendered":"

SKINTRADE
Refueled<\/strong><\/span>
\n\"\"
\nAOR Heaven (2014)<\/span>
Rating: 9\/10<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Having formed way back in the early 90s, Swedish rockers Skintrade make a welcome return to the rock \u2019n\u2019 roll fray with their new 12-track stomper Refueled<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Like so many bands this Stockholm quartet has had its ups and downs over the years, with 1993 seeing the band release their self-titled debut opus to critical acclaim and touring the world with renowned artists such as Mot\u00f6rhead and D-A-D. A Tomas Skogsberg-produced follow-up album, Roach Powder<\/em>, appeared in 1995, but then in the blink of an eye Skintrade were gone.<\/p>\n

Whispers of a reunion for Skintrade however began in 2011 with the band reuniting and realising quickly that the old magic was still there, and so two years later Refueled<\/em> is the result. The band consists of founding members Matti Alfonzetti (vocals \/ guitar), Stefan Bergstr\u00f6m (guitar), H\u00e5kan Calmroth (bass) and H\u00e5kan Persson (drums), and after just a few spins it\u2019s clear that Skintrade are back in business.<\/p>\n

From the clanking chug of opener \u2018Monster\u2019, Skintrade rock with effortless charm, combining melodic rock and punchy rhythms with soaring vocals and hardy percussion. Clearly not fazed by how much the world of metal has changed, Skintrade have simply injected extra attitude, swagger and kick to an already potent formula. \u201cI need a shot again\u201d<\/em> demands Alfonzetti over a ploughing riff and dashing drum, \u2018Monster\u2019 being the perfect way to introduce Skintrade to old and new fans alike.<\/p>\n

\u2018Liar\u2019 continues that trend with a cool groove based on shuffling drums and another stabbing riff. Already the album is infectious, kicking hard and so self-assured, \u2018Liar\u2019 being a raunchy rock \u2019n\u2019 roll classic that melts into the chugging monstrosity that is \u2018Pay In Blood\u2019, which for me sums up the sound of Skintrade \u2013 a grunge-tinged melodic rocker that\u2019s hard-hitting in its structure yet harmonious throughout. Alfonzetti has such a breezy vocal croon which works well with the heavy yet fluid guitar sound.<\/p>\n

However, you know that with a title like \u2018Hardcore MF Heartattack\u2019 these guys aren\u2019t merely here to provide us with a ray of sunshine. \u2018Hardcore…\u2019 has a darker edge, exhibiting a sleazy arrogance, but this is no surprise considering Alfonzetti has spent much of his career working with bands such as Jagged Edge, Bam Bam Boys, Western Front (pre-21 Guns) and the like, proving to be a rock \u2019n\u2019 roll stalwart when it comes to being involved with punchy yet melodic bands. \u2018Hardcore MF Heartattack\u2019 for all of its pomp is probably my favourite track on an album that winds along like a seemingly approachable snake, yet one with enough bite to take down its prey.<\/p>\n

The accessibility comes via the subtle strains of tracks such as the gorgeous \u2018Close My Eyes\u2019, which has such a breathtaking quality, hinting at that early 90s alternative rock scene which spawned the likes of Saigon Kick and various kaleidoscopic grunge bands.<\/p>\n

Although Skintrade rarely resort to solely lighter numbers, I\u2019d love to hear them take the time to record a few ballad-esque numbers. But hey, when you\u2019ve got such strong material as \u2018Getting Away With Murder\u2019 and the strutting \u2018Mountain\u2019 there seems little room for reflective lullabies. Both these numbers provide a rigid central point for this immense record, and around such sweltering beasts we experience the sweeping \u2018Been To The Bottom\u2019 \u2013 a sensual, almost bluesy strain reminding me of the soulful melodies of John Corabi.<\/p>\n

\u2018Worse Than Wasted\u2019 kicks in with a killer riff and robust bass which are both caressed by Alfonzetti\u2019s presence. But just when you think the album can\u2019t get any better, our ears are met by the ascending chords of \u2018Dying In Your Arms\u2019 and the brilliant groove of \u2018Wild One\u2019, which is as immense as modern rock can get. Of course, the big issue is that when the closing \u2018Look Me In The Eye\u2019 finishes rumbling, we\u2019re left giddy yet gagging for another spin.<\/p>\n

Coupled with fantastic production values Refueled<\/em> gives me faith in the current rock scene, because while it still nods to the early 90s for innovation, this is a record of such brilliance and shine. Hard to fault, Skintrade have to make sure that they don\u2019t succumb to the pressures and problems which put pay to them before, because these guys are clearly talented songwriters who have combined ballsy rock \u2019n\u2019 roll with elements of sleaze, glam and traditional metal but injected it with a streak of colour.<\/p>\n

As each track on Refueled<\/em> rolls by I can\u2019t help but think of those glorious early 90s when the heavy metal scene moved out of the denim \u2019n\u2019 leather and suddenly became a beast refreshed. Skintrade should have spearheaded that original spurt, but sadly didn\u2019t. However, now is their time to glow.<\/p>\n

Neil Arnold<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SKINTRADERefueled AOR Heaven (2014)Rating: 9\/10 Having formed way back in the early 90s, Swedish rockers Skintrade make a welcome return to the rock \u2019n\u2019 roll fray with their new 12-track stomper Refueled. Like so many bands this Stockholm quartet has had its ups and downs over the years, with 1993 seeing the band release their […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,1104],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17774","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-album-ep-reviews","category-skintrade"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17774","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17774"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17774\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17777,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17774\/revisions\/17777"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17774"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17774"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metalforcesmagazine.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17774"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}