Leicester, UK power trio SKAM have been around for 13 years, and we featured some of their strong albums, albeit with little to distinguish them from the herd. Well, that will change with their new album “From The Depths“, a true piece of quality Brit hard rock that will surely ensure higher levels of exposure.
They’ve doubled down, built on the best of their past, added a contemporary twist and gone for rock broke. And they’ve succeeded spectacularly. From the sizzling first moments of the opening Rising Fever in which guitarist / singer Steve Hill unleashes a dizzyingly ferocious guitar solo, it’s pretty clear what lies ahead and SKAM don’t disappoint. With a lingering chorus that stays inside the head for days, the Leicester trio have crafted a song that surely ranks amongst the best of 2024.
“From The Depths” is perfectly executed record, with a sweet production that allows the instruments time to breathe yet maintains the vibrant urgency.
The powerful track list continues with the huge drum sound on Another Way Out, a song that bristles with the same power as Rising Fever. These are songs to sing along to but work equally well in many settings. You can drive fast to this album, join in as you walk to work or simply grab a drink, put your feet up and turn it up to 11.
But this is not simply a hard rocker of an album. No, there are plenty of colours in Skam’s palette. The driving ride of Fate Of The Souls pushes the limits, and the expansive style of Clouds provides a different dimension whilst there is a groove that is addictive on the piledriver, Travesty.
Over the ten songs and 44 minutes that is ”From The Depths”, Skam repeatedly demonstrate why they remain one of the most reliable yet underrated bands in the UK hard rock scene. The songs are played with a confidence that only comes from hard work, constant touring and honing of their art.
Inevitably, they throw in a calmer track or two, and this time, it is the emotive Face Down that fills that place. This is no soppy love song, though, but a smouldering song that increases in tempo and ensures that their rocky edge remains sharp.
Every album should contain one curve ball, and on ”From The Depths”, it is the title track that does this. At a majestic eight and a half minutes long, it dwarfs the other tracks completely in duration. It is also a fabulously worked and delivered song that explodes into a heavy monster of a track, with Neal Hill’s relentless drumming pushing the pace.
Full of oceanic mystery and myths, it rolls along at such a tempo that it is over almost before it starts. A superb storytelling epic, this deserves to be heard by everyone.
Fantastically played, ”From The Depth”s is an album that genuinely deserves every plaudit it receives and more. There is nothing more to say. As contemporary hard rock albums go, then it gets no better than this.
Highly Recommended
Tracklist:
1. Rising Fever (04:10)
2. Another Way Out (03:47)
3. Fate of the Souls (03:49)
4. Selfish Friend (03:47)
5. Clouds (04:31)
6. Travesty (03:40)
7. Die For You (03:42)
8. The Grind (04:06)
9. Face Down (04:20)
10. From The Depths (08:38)
Skam – From The Depths (2024)
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