Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard – ‘Skinwalker’ album review: A rock-heavy heap of get down
THE SKINNY: Disco was a controversial time for music. Granted, many of the songs we know and love today are perceived as floor fillers that helped shape a lot of modern pop; however, it was also the first time music had a set formula. A hit was no longer something that couldn’t be predicted; the perfect time signature was discovered, chord progressions were repeated, and some of the best musicians in the world fell into a corporate trap of repeating the same thing to make sales. The genre is now often looked back on with a sense of nostalgia, but some bands can use it to breathe new life into an exciting sound.
One band that has done that recently is Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard on their new album Skinwalker, a record that starts with a second-long introduction consisting of plain noise. You might hear that and think it’s a pointless addition, but it perfectly sets the listener up for what’s to come: planned chaos. The entire album is industrial and rock-heavy, but it also comes packed with elements of funk, breathing new life into disco as you get something you can dance to or join a mosh pit to.
The best way to describe this album is ‘fun’, often a wrongly maligned word. The band has such mastery over the instruments they use to make a sound accessible, but they are incredibly layered and complex simultaneously. Even the most dance-reluctant would struggle not to tap their feet to some of the tracks on this album, as the likes of ‘National Rust’ and ‘Therapy’ sound like Nile Rodgers and James Hetfield had a child.
The album doesn’t become stale or repetitive either, with slower tunes like ‘The Drowning Bell’ calming things down and scattered spoken verses throughout the album providing a movie-like narrative. We glimpse a combination that is not utilised enough, and dance and rock music merge to give us something unique that doubles up to be nostalgic from another universe.
For fans of: Not being able to decide if you want to throw some shapes or throw someone across a room.
A concluding comment from orthopaedic experts: Wear a neck brace before you listen to this head-banging masterpiece. Order Voltarol for afterwards.
Skinwalker track by track
Release Date: April 12th | Label: Communion Records | Producer: Tom Rees
‘Intro’: Bzzzzzzzzzgrrrrrrrrrruuuooooooompphhhhhh [bzz/bzz]
‘National Rust’: People won’t expect this song after the intro. Granted, the intro is about 3 seconds long and consists of nothing but feedback and groaning synth, but it sets the next track up as being an industrial and heavy tune; what we actually get is a funk-filled rock song, one that sounds like a cross between early Prince songs and The Hives. Regardless, it’s a lot of fun. [5/5]
‘Chew’: This song comes packed with Black Sabbath energy. The instrumentation is really heavy, with chaotic drums and a bassline that mimics the guitar, but the vocals are spaced out and melodic. It’s a really exciting listen. Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard has an immense amount of musical talent, and it’s cool to see they’re not intending to hold any of it back. [4/5]
‘My Star Sign Is A Basset Hound’: Only three songs in, and it’s clear the guitar on this record will be completely unhinged. It seems there is no distinction between a riff and a solo, as the guitar delivery on these songs is difficult to latch onto but incredibly easy to enjoy. This song is an energy-packed masterpiece, heavy in execution but accessible. [4/5]
‘Sugar Sandwich’: A heavy riff that will get the stiffest necks head-nodding ushers in this song. The band straddles the line between funky and heavy well throughout this record as clear, punchy distorted guitars are present, but vocally, the melodies laced throughout songs come straight out of disco. It’s a lot of fun. [4/5]
‘The Drowning Bell’: The first slow song on the album. ‘The Drowning Bell’ sounds like a haunted waltz as slow drums and an organ/synth sound accompany downbeat, monotone lyrics. The song builds and progresses without changing much; a little synth-like lick and a slight alteration in vocal tone are enough to elevate this track, which remains engaging throughout. A spoken word poem, slightly possessed in its execution, is off-putting towards the end, but that’s almost certainly the point. [3/5]
‘Leatherbound’: The drums mimic a breakbeat, hip-hop style, while the guitar rings like the best of rock songs. This is one of the most classic-sounding tracks on the album; there is a real arena-like tone to it as a wall of sound punches the listener in the face before apologising and elevating them. It’s a banger. [4/5]
‘In My Egg’: As we near the backend of the album, we’re treated to a singalong style number, something that sounds like it was born from strumming an acoustic guitar around a campfire and then taken into a studio and amped up. It sounds sweet despite the distortion-heavy guitar solos and banging drums that follow it around. [3.5/5]
‘Therapy’: Leaning back into the funky style that has enveloped so much of this album, this song begins with an upbeat riff and catchy vocal line before dance-like drums lead us to the dancefloor. Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard’s ability to make a hard rock song that you can boogie down to is inspiring on this album, perfectly personified by ‘Therapy’. [5/5]
‘Human Compression’: This is sonic oblivion at its finest. An upbeat tankard of rocket fuel, unpredictable in its instrumentation, teasing a kick-off before reverting to square one, bringing in a solo and dismissing it just as quickly. One minute, there are harmonies; the next, they’re gone. Rife with drum solos. It’s a ride. [4/5]
‘Night Of The Skinwalker’: Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard end on a big note; the opening riff sounds like it was taken from a movie score as the villain walks in. The chord progression is sporadic and rock-heavy, allowing the song to build around them. This album is a chaotic joy, so to end on something that binds everything that has contributed to as much is a real high that makes you want to listen again. [4/5]
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