Skipping Stone - Hurricanes & Hand Grenades

Labels: Self-Released

Formats: CD/Digital

Release Date: 05 Aug 2022

Tracklist:

1. Quietus

2. Sink Or Swim

3. Hurricane

4. So Far Gone

Kentucky, USA's Skipping Stone will be playing alongside Puddle Of Mudd this Friday. Say want you want about the headline band, but that's a pretty big deal. Add to that the fact that they've also played alongside Escape The Fate, I Set My Friends On Fire and have a recommended band in the form of Cold listed at the bottom of their bandcamp page, and they've clearly got something going for them. Skipping Stone released two EPs this year, starting with Monsters Of Men in March prior to Hurricanes & Hand Grenades in August. They cover a whole musical gamut from 80s Hard Rock to metalcore and are a new name to me.

I’ll be honest, I was secretly hoping that Skipping Stone wouldn’t sound like a poor example of nu-metal and thankfully they don’t. EP opener ‘Quietus’ is clean and very uptempo, with a modern alt-rock influence and catchiness. Heavy and crunching at times, with a nod towards Billy Talent too.’Sink Or Swim’ begins with the well used (WWE entrance inducing) air raid siren intro before launching into a moody metal song that reminds me of System Of Down in places. I’m sorry for all the comparisons here, it’s not me being disrespectful to the band, it’s just what I hear.

One thing’s for sure, Skipping Stone clearly have a lot of talent. ‘Hurricane’ is a proper festival sing-along anthem with just the right amount of angst. The clean vocals throughout the song and the EP in general are brilliant, as are the rest of the band. This makes me nostalgic as a lot of the music that formed my early metal listening habits came thanks to bands like Cold, Sevendust and Soil etc. I’m not for one second saying that Skipping Stone are trying to mimic those bands, but there is that same feel when listening to them.

EP closer ‘So Far Gone’ takes Hurricanes & Hand Grenades on a final mid-paced alt-rock trip and it rounds things out perfectly, showing again the quality of the band’s song-writing. You might not find this EP to be overly original style-wise, but one things for sure, it has a lot of heart and might just be what you need to reignite your passion for those forgotten gems (and for discovering new bands like Skipping Stone too!).

You can stream 'Hurricane' and purchase EP on cd, as well as digitally below:-

Skipping Stone - https://www.facebook.com/SkippingStoneOfficial

Hallas - Excerpts From A Future Past

Labels: The Sign Records

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 13 Oct 2017

Tracklist:

1. The Astral Seer

2. Repentance

3. Nebulon's Tower

4. The Golden City Of Semyra

5. Star Rider

6. Shadow Of The Templar

7. Illusion Sky

I've felt the need tonight to delve into something different and less abrasive. Swedish 70's hard-rock worshippers Hallas and their debut full-length from 2017 should do nicely. Release on Swedish retro/hard-rock/heavy metal label The Sign Records, it follows their 2015 self-titled EP. They're about to head out to support Graveyard on their Scandinavian tour, so they're keeping very esteemed company. 

There’s nothing wrong with venturing into territory that’s easier on the ears from time to time. Retro rock (as some like to call it) is really growing thanks to a huge number of bands from across the globe, with Scandinavia very much at it’s forefront. Hallas is a band that’s gathering more momentum and it’s easy to see (and hear) why as album opener The Astral Seer brims with progression. keyboard flourishes and clean singing that hasn’t been affected by the usual Americanisation. It’s all very natural sounding and true to heart.

With Repentance, Hallas increase the length of their instrumental passages and layers, enhancing their music with subtle psychedelia, while vocalist/bassist Tommy Alexandersson sounds akin to Sting during his days in The Police when he reaches the higher registers. Nebulon’s Tower is an engrossing instrumental piece that highlights the folk-elements within their sound. “Excerpts From A Future Past” is very much an album for people who genuinely like music. There’s so much musicality present on songs like The Golden City Of Semyra that it’s so easy to get sucked in to it all. Again, the band’s progression is present as well a tempered but meatier percussion element, which give the music extra bite. 

Nicklas Malmqvist’s keyboard work that opens Star Rider is ridiculous, as it breezes through the scales from low to high. This is a super catchy song with some nice pop-like melodies and crunching guitars. I’m not afraid to say that It’s got me feeling quire sleepy in a cosy sort of way. Before you know it (or if you’re in a completely blissful trance), penultimate song Shadow Of The Templar is whisking you off on a journey into the star-filled night sky of the album’s cover. There’s a slight cosmic feel to it all and an upbeat one at that. The album’s final song Illusion Sky is a slower and more melodramatic song. Ultimately, it sums up the Hallas signature sound perfectly and rounds out a record that’s definitely worth more dues than it’s received so far. There are times when a different perspective is needed and this record gives you that without being showy or obtuse. Fantastic.

You can stream and download "Excerpts From A Future Past" via The Sign Records here:-

Hallas - https://www.facebook.com/haellas/

Physical copies are still available to purchase here - https://freighttrain.se/en/the-sign-record/

The Sign Records - https://www.facebook.com/thesignrecords/