I must confess I was very surprised indeed when I saw this album was being released, as while Skunk Anansie were one of the most important British rock bands of the Nineties I had not thought of them in years. Formed in 1994, their debut album ‘Paranoid & Sunburnt’ (1995) and its follow up ‘Stoosh’ (1996) both hit the Top 10 album chart in the UK, while songs such as “Weak” and “Hedonism” were huge. Their combination of melodic rock, angular songs and a frontwoman who could spit venom with ease made them a favourite with many. They were the last band to headline Glastonbury in the Nineties, but broke up after their third album and went on hiatus from 2001 to 2008. This is their fourth album since then, but the first in nine years, and remarkably they still have the same line-up of Skin (vocals, keyboards), Ace (guitar), Cass (bass) and drummer Mark Richardson.
Right from the off it is obvious Skin is as angry as ever, as the mostly spoken word of “An Artist Is An Artist” cuts right through the listener, “There are days when they suspend ideas, And reticence begins to wear, Upon a tired mind and they feel bad of course, And then they read your shit, And lose the fucking will to live, ‘Cause your stupidity is raised above their principles”. It is a great opener, and then the band do what they have always done, creating a melange of musical styles and genres, which is what one would expect from a band influenced by the Sex Pistols, Blondie, dub, reggae, electronica, hip-hop and world music and who are as happy getting on stage before Rammstein as they are for Smashing Pumpkins, Soulfly, U2 and many others. This is venom and aggression wrapped up in a band who have refused to conform to any expectations since they formed more than 30 years ago, and the quartet are as passionate and incensed as they were back in the day.
This is a refreshing album which cuts through the over-sanitised world we live in, and if you want to hear what passion sounds like from a band who are going to take whatever musical journey they wish, mixing hard rock with ambient and electronica when the mood takes them, then this is for you. 9/10
