Band of Skulls may not be a household name yet, but this threesome from Southampton, England look to be on the way up.  Also bear in mind the key word in that sentence is ‘yet’.  You get a lot of hearsay about upcoming bands these days, most of which is passed off as widespread rumours by struggling labels looking for one last stab at the big time.  But this is not the case where Band of Skulls are concerned.  These guys have a serious chance of making it big. Their label Shangri-la which brought you the likes of the classic The Pretenders are onto something possibly huge here.

and of Skulls, Baby Darling Doll Face Honey

I don’t joke when I say this group have the potential to follow and even surpass the standards set by The White Stripes. With the voice of lead vocalist and guitarist Russell Marsden mimicing that of Jack White’s, hearing this band on the radio one would easily be forgiven for confusing the two with each other… But with the added bonus of a second vocalist in Emma Richardson (bassist) who’s voice is just second to that of Russell‘s, then one would barely be bold in saying that Band of Skulls have something extra, something which is a little bit more than what The White Stripes have to offer these days.

You hear a lot about these manufactured bands who are destined to make it big by default because of what is known as popular culture these days. But Band of Skulls do not fall into that category whatsover. These guys are real. All three members, including drummer Matt Hayward are original, and all are subjects of their own realisation of potential and drive to make real music.

All three help out with the lyrics on debut album Baby Darling Doll Face Honey , and the quote from their third release Fires, ”Come on get up Romeo, Don’t you know what the time is? It’s the fall of rock ‘n roll, That’s what the news said” could not be more contradictory.  If these guys keep their head down, and keep on doing what obviously comes naturally to them, then this could be the rebirth of rock ‘n roll in a sense.  Something which is missed these days by the likes of the Kings of Leon (whose originality makes them undoubtedly a great band), but are becoming more and more pop rather than rock as time goes by, and in some harsher words ‘sell-outs’.

Another great lyric from the tune Patterns that cant go unnoticed is ‘…4 for the reason, and 5 for the tricks, but nothings gonna save you from the 666.’  This line can also be seen as either contradictory or, as time will more than likely tell, a metaphorical sign of whats to come from Band of Skulls. There is no doubt that it is early days for this group but if they play their cards right they could become the ’666′ or ‘the Devil’ of rock ‘n roll who others would love to say they rival, yet fear the prospect of doing so at the same time.

These guys can be great, theres no mistaking that. And with tracks like I Know What I Am, Death by Diamonds and Pearls, Fires, and Patterns, and the brilliant Bomb and Honest along with a hell of a lot more this band have to offer we can more await than hope for their future greatness. Dont leave us down lads…

Drop-d Rating: 8.5/10

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