Monday, August 11, 2014

CASSETTE REVIEW: Skull Practitioners “st1 (tape)”


                The first song on this cassette comes out guns blazing and it reminds me of the earlier, hardcore punk era of a band like AFI (You know, before AFI wanted to be the Misfits as much as they seemingly do now)   Though to compare this to AFI isn’t entirely fair, but it rather sounds like a band who sounds like AFI but isn’t AFI, if that makes any sense.   

                Great guitar work on the first song translates to the second, which is live, and it takes on an instrumental route which is somewhere between ZZ Top and Steppenwolf.    Had this stayed like the first song for the entirety of it I don’t know where my head would have been at.  I would like to hear a band one day that brings out that old AFI quality which I feel they mistakenly left behind (Though in some ways they did have to grow, evolve even), but I’m not 100% certain I am ready for it yet so luckily Skull Practitioners do not leave it up to me to decide that just yet.  (Thank you, very much)

                Side B also has two songs and it begins with more of a classic rock feel.    The songs remain instrumental, as only the first one had vocals, which is not as odd as you might think considering some of the things that I have heard.    The third song has almost this driving feel to it, like Golden Earring, while the last gets a little more slide guitar rockin’ ala Led Zeppelin and Jet before just engaging in some chaos along the likes of Electric Eel Shock.

                Skull Practitioners are wild and could have easily found themselves as part of that stellar roster of bands on Equal Vision Records back when I remember listening to them wholeheartedly.   In the current age of music, and especially of cassettes, I could very easily see Skull Practitioners fitting in on the diverse yet rocking roster of Already Dead Tapes.    Wherever and however they put out their music though, I can rest assured knowing that it will be great and I will be there. 




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