Skintilla
Shedding Skin

March 2004
Released: 2003, Independent
Rating: 4.5/5
Reviewer: Lord of the Wasteland

Skintilla is an Australian band who have blown me away with this 6-song E.P.. The band combines some excellent double-bass drumming and power metal vocals with razor-sharp riffs and mind-blowing solos. Vocalist Darren Pretty sounds very close to Cage’s Sean Peck but also has a rougher edge that reminds me of John Bush (Anthrax/Armored Saint) at times. Though they have been a band since 1998, Skintilla is a new band of sorts, as guitarist Jeremy Burgess disbanded the original lineup after two releases, took a year off to re-evaluate the direction Skintilla was taking and brought together the band circa 2003.



“Trust” and “Hate” feature killer guitar solos and monster riffing. “White Flag Down” is a heavy track with some great drumming. Aggressive vocals from Pretty and a crunching groove make “Live The Lie” the best track of the bunch. The band finishes off the CD with the acoustic track, “Silence.” Played to perfection on acoustic guitar and with a stunning vocal from Pretty, this song shows that Skintilla has more than one angle they can come at listeners with.



Skintilla is currently unsigned but with the SHEDDING SKIN E.P. as bait for labels, I’m sure that will not last long. Though I’m not crazy about their choice of names, with the right push and promotion, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Skintilla as a major player in the next few years.



KILLER KUTS: “Trust,” “Live The Lie”