Skindred
Encyclopedia
Skindred is a Welsh
rock
band from Newport
. The band was formed in 1998 following the disbandment of vocalist Benji Webbe
's previous band, Dub War
. Skindred's musical style mixes alternative rock
, heavy metal
, punk rock
and reggae
. The band also integrate elements of dancehall
, jungle
, hardcore
, ska
, hip hop
, drum and bass
, dubstep
and various other influences into their music.
was formed in Newport
, South Wales
in 1993, and eventually signed with Earache Records
. According to vocalist Benji Webbe
, "They would not let us record and just wouldn't give us money to live on, this made us fight internally till we had no option other than to go our separate ways or kill someone or each other." Dub War disbanded in 1998, and Webbe formed Skindred with bassist Daniel Pugsley, guitarist Mikey Demus, and drummer Dirty Arya Goggin after Webbe was unable to put together a new project featuring other members of Dub War. In 2002, Skindred released its debut album, Babylon. After being reissued in 2003 by RCA Records
, the album was re-released by Lava Records
on August 14, 2004. Allmusic writer Johnny Loftus wrote that "Skindred doesn't seem to consciously want the reinvention tag; it has simply tapped into the same lack of pretension that fueled Korn
and Living Colour
's Vivid
-- records that were made visionary by an unadulterated honesty in both delivery and craft. [...] highly recommended for fans of literate genre jumpers like Soulfly
and System of a Down
, or any heshers looking for some heavy-hitting firepower that hasn't fallen victim to the anvil of corporate assimilation."
In the United States
, Babylon charted at #1 on the Billboard
Top Reggae Albums chart
, #5 on the Top Heatseekers chart and at #189 on the Billboard 200
, and the single "Nobody" peaked at #14 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and at #23 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart in 2004. In 2005, the single "Pressure" peaked at #30 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. In 2006, Babylon once again charted at #1 on the Top Reggae Albums chart. On October 23, 2007, Skindred released its second album, Roots Rock Riot
on Bieler Bros. Records
. In the United States, the album peaked at #6 on the Top Heatseekers chart and at #22 on the Top Independent Albums chart. The album Shark Bites and Dog Fights
was released in September 2009.
In 2011, Dan Sturgess was added to Skindred's live lineup (it's still unconfirmed whether or not he will be a full time member although he has appeared in almost all of Skindred's publicity shots since his addition). The band's fourth studio album, Union Black
, was released April 25, 2011 exclusively to the UK & Europe. On July 1, it was released in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The band promoted this with a UK tour, supported by American post-hardcore
group Chiodos
and Blackpool band Me Vs Hero. The London show was filmed for Scuzz
TV in the UK. Skindred also played at several major European festivals including Download Festival
on the Acoustic Stage (Friday) and Main Stage (Saturday), Boardmasters Festival
, Wacken Open Air
, Przystanek Woodstock
, and Sonisphere Festival
in Italy and Switzerland, the Swiss leg of Sonisphere being notable for the first live performance of Warning with Jacoby Shaddix
, who's band Papa Roach
was also performing at Sonisphere in Switzerland.
, punk rock
and reggae
influences. The band refers to this style as "Ragga
metal". Benji Webbe has also jokingly referred to the band's musical style as "nu-reggae", in reference to the term nu metal
. Although Skindred has sometimes been compared to Bad Brains
, Webbe states that "To someone who doesn't know anything about reggae music, of course we're going to sound like Bad Brains. It's like someone who doesn't know anything about opera
might say that Pavarotti
sounds just like Mario Lanza
. But when your ears are trained and you know what you're looking for, you're going to say, 'Shit no, Mario Lanza don't sound nothing like Pavarotti.'"
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band from Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
. The band was formed in 1998 following the disbandment of vocalist Benji Webbe
Benji Webbe
Clive "Benji" Webbe is a Welsh singer best known as the lead vocalist for the alternate rock band Skindred and as a former member of Dub War...
's previous band, Dub War
Dub War
Dub War was a four piece metal band from Newport, South Wales, UK. Formed in 1993, the band offered an innovative mix of metal, punk, and ragga influenced by bands like The Clash and Bad Brains...
. Skindred's musical style mixes alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
, heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
, punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
. The band also integrate elements of dancehall
Dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...
, jungle
Jungle music
Jungle music can mean:* A style of music prominently featuring the "Amen break"* Drum and bass, a form of rave music that has bassline and drum influence, but does not contain much influence from the "Amen break"...
, hardcore
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
, ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
, hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
, drum and bass
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
, dubstep
Dubstep
Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in south London, England. Its overall sound has been described as "tightly coiled productions with overwhelming bass lines and reverberant drum patterns, clipped samples, and occasional vocals"....
and various other influences into their music.
History
Dub WarDub War
Dub War was a four piece metal band from Newport, South Wales, UK. Formed in 1993, the band offered an innovative mix of metal, punk, and ragga influenced by bands like The Clash and Bad Brains...
was formed in Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
, South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
in 1993, and eventually signed with Earache Records
Earache Records
Earache Records is a heavy metal-oriented record label based in Nottingham, UK and New York, USA. It helped to pioneer extreme metal by releasing many of the earliest grindcore and death metal records in the period 1988-1994.-History:...
. According to vocalist Benji Webbe
Benji Webbe
Clive "Benji" Webbe is a Welsh singer best known as the lead vocalist for the alternate rock band Skindred and as a former member of Dub War...
, "They would not let us record and just wouldn't give us money to live on, this made us fight internally till we had no option other than to go our separate ways or kill someone or each other." Dub War disbanded in 1998, and Webbe formed Skindred with bassist Daniel Pugsley, guitarist Mikey Demus, and drummer Dirty Arya Goggin after Webbe was unable to put together a new project featuring other members of Dub War. In 2002, Skindred released its debut album, Babylon. After being reissued in 2003 by RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
, the album was re-released by Lava Records
Lava Records
Lava Records is an American based record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated through Universal Republic Records.-Company history:...
on August 14, 2004. Allmusic writer Johnny Loftus wrote that "Skindred doesn't seem to consciously want the reinvention tag; it has simply tapped into the same lack of pretension that fueled Korn
Korn (album)
Korn is the self-titled debut album by American nu metal band Korn, released on October 4, 1994, through Immortal/Epic Records. Before recording the album, the band played several gigs in an attempt to promote themselves. They were approached by Immortal/Epic Records after a performance at...
and Living Colour
Living Colour
Living Colour is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 1984. Stylistically, the band's music is a creative fusion influenced by free jazz, funk, neo-psychedelia, hard rock, and heavy metal...
's Vivid
Vivid (album)
Vivid is the debut album by the American heavy metal band Living Colour, which was released on May 3, 1988. The band was discovered by Mick Jagger while playing a show at punk club CBGB's in 1987...
-- records that were made visionary by an unadulterated honesty in both delivery and craft. [...] highly recommended for fans of literate genre jumpers like Soulfly
Soulfly
Soulfly is a heavy metal band formed in 1997 based in Phoenix, Arizona. The original lyrical content revolved around spirituality and religious themes, with later albums encompassing other themes including war, violence, aggression, hatred and anger. Soulfly is led by former Sepultura frontman Max...
and System of a Down
System of a Down
System of a Down, also known by the acronym SOAD and often shortened to System, is a rock band from Southern California. The band was formed in 1994. It consists of Serj Tankian , Daron Malakian , Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan...
, or any heshers looking for some heavy-hitting firepower that hasn't fallen victim to the anvil of corporate assimilation."
In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Babylon charted at #1 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Top Reggae Albums chart
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
, #5 on the Top Heatseekers chart and at #189 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, and the single "Nobody" peaked at #14 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and at #23 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart in 2004. In 2005, the single "Pressure" peaked at #30 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. In 2006, Babylon once again charted at #1 on the Top Reggae Albums chart. On October 23, 2007, Skindred released its second album, Roots Rock Riot
Roots Rock Riot
Roots Rock Riot is the second album from Welsh rock band Skindred. It was released on October 23, 2007 in the United States and on October 29, 2007 in the UK...
on Bieler Bros. Records
Bieler Bros. Records
Bieler Bros. Records is an independent record label based out of Florida, USA.-History:Bieler Bros. Records was formed in January 2002 by brothers Aaron and Jason Bieler...
. In the United States, the album peaked at #6 on the Top Heatseekers chart and at #22 on the Top Independent Albums chart. The album Shark Bites and Dog Fights
Shark Bites and Dog Fights
-Personnel:* Benji Webbe * Daniel Pugsley * Michael John Fry * Arya Goggin...
was released in September 2009.
In 2011, Dan Sturgess was added to Skindred's live lineup (it's still unconfirmed whether or not he will be a full time member although he has appeared in almost all of Skindred's publicity shots since his addition). The band's fourth studio album, Union Black
Union Black (album)
-Personnel:* Benji Webbe – Vocals, Synthesiser* Daniel Pugsley – Bass* Mikey Demus – Guitar, Backing Vocals* Dirty Arya – Drums-Additional Personnel:* Jacoby Shaddix – Additional vocals on track 2* James Loughrey – Production, Engineering...
, was released April 25, 2011 exclusively to the UK & Europe. On July 1, it was released in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The band promoted this with a UK tour, supported by American post-hardcore
Post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a genre of music that developed from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups...
group Chiodos
Chiodos
Chiodos is an American post hardcore band from Davison, Michigan. Formed in 2001, the group was originally known as "The Chiodos Bros," the band's name was a tribute to filmmakers Stephen, Charles, and Edward Chiodo, responsible for the film Killer Klowns from Outer Space. Chiodos released their...
and Blackpool band Me Vs Hero. The London show was filmed for Scuzz
Scuzz
Scuzz is a British music television channel owned and operated by CSC Media Group . It launched on 17 April 2003 and has gone on to be the highest-rated rock TV station on UK satellite. The channel plays a broad range of rock and all its subgenres...
TV in the UK. Skindred also played at several major European festivals including Download Festival
Download Festival
The Download Festival is a three day rock music festival held annually at Donington Park, England . It usually takes place in June...
on the Acoustic Stage (Friday) and Main Stage (Saturday), Boardmasters Festival
Boardmasters Festival
The Boardmasters Festival is an annual event held in Newquay. The event is a combination of live music and a surf & skate contest.The majority of the music performances take place to the north of Newquay near Watergate Bay...
, Wacken Open Air
Wacken Open Air
Wacken Open Air is a summer open air heavy metal music festival. It takes place annually in the small town of Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany...
, Przystanek Woodstock
Przystanek Woodstock
Przystanek Woodstock is an annual free rock music festival in Poland, inspired by and named for the Woodstock Festival, that has taken place since 1995...
, and Sonisphere Festival
Sonisphere Festival
The Sonisphere Festival is a touring music festival which takes place across Europe between June and August. The festival is owned by John Jackson and Kilimanjaro Live. It is jointly-promoted by K2 and Kilimanjaro Live...
in Italy and Switzerland, the Swiss leg of Sonisphere being notable for the first live performance of Warning with Jacoby Shaddix
Jacoby Shaddix
Jacoby Dakota Shaddix is the lead singer of Californian rock band Papa Roach, and along with bassist Tobin Esperance, is the main songwriter for the band.-Early life:...
, who's band Papa Roach
Papa Roach
Papa Roach is an American rock band from Vacaville, California. Their first major-label release was the triple-platinum album Infest . The group's success continued with their gold album Lovehatetragedy , their platinum album Getting Away with Murder , The Paramour Sessions , and Metamorphosis...
was also performing at Sonisphere in Switzerland.
Musical style
Skindred fuses heavy metalHeavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
, punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
influences. The band refers to this style as "Ragga
Ragga
-Origins:Ragga originated in Jamaica during the 1980s, at the same time that electronic dance music's popularity was increasing globally. One of the reasons for ragga's swift propagation is that it is generally easier and less expensive to produce than reggae performed on traditional musical...
metal". Benji Webbe has also jokingly referred to the band's musical style as "nu-reggae", in reference to the term nu metal
Nu metal
Nu metal is a subgenre of heavy metal. It is a fusion genre which combines elements of heavy metal with other genres, including grunge and hip hop...
. Although Skindred has sometimes been compared to Bad Brains
Bad Brains
Bad Brains is an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1977. They are widely regarded as among the pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members objected to this term to describe their music. They are also an adept reggae band, while later recordings featured elements of...
, Webbe states that "To someone who doesn't know anything about reggae music, of course we're going to sound like Bad Brains. It's like someone who doesn't know anything about opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
might say that Pavarotti
Luciano Pavarotti
right|thumb|Luciano Pavarotti performing at the opening of the Constantine Palace in [[Strelna]], 31 May 2003. The concert was part of the celebrations for the 300th anniversary of [[St...
sounds just like Mario Lanza
Mario Lanza
right|thumb|[[MGM]] still, circa 1949Mario Lanza was an American tenor and Hollywood movie star of the late 1940s and the 1950s. The son of Italian emigrants, he began studying to be a professional singer at the age of 16....
. But when your ears are trained and you know what you're looking for, you're going to say, 'Shit no, Mario Lanza don't sound nothing like Pavarotti.'"
Band members
- Benji WebbeBenji WebbeClive "Benji" Webbe is a Welsh singer best known as the lead vocalist for the alternate rock band Skindred and as a former member of Dub War...
— Vocals, Electronics (1998–present) - Daniel Pugsley — Bass (1998–present)
- Michael Fry (a.k.a. Mikeydemus) — Guitar, Backing vocals (2002–present)
- Arya Goggin (a.k.a. Dirty Arya) — Drums (2002–present)
Former members
- Jeff "Death" Rose — Guitar (1998–2002)
- Martyn "Ginge" Ford — Drums (1998–2002)
Touring Members
- Dan Sturgess (a.k.a. Gubbins, Bruno, Brixton, Arthur, Sanchez) - DJ, samples, electronics (2011-present)
Discography
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 2002 | Babylon |
| 2007 | Roots Rock Riot Roots Rock Riot Roots Rock Riot is the second album from Welsh rock band Skindred. It was released on October 23, 2007 in the United States and on October 29, 2007 in the UK... |
| 2009 | Shark Bites and Dog Fights Shark Bites and Dog Fights -Personnel:* Benji Webbe * Daniel Pugsley * Michael John Fry * Arya Goggin... |
| 2011 | Union Black Union Black (album) -Personnel:* Benji Webbe – Vocals, Synthesiser* Daniel Pugsley – Bass* Mikey Demus – Guitar, Backing Vocals* Dirty Arya – Drums-Additional Personnel:* Jacoby Shaddix – Additional vocals on track 2* James Loughrey – Production, Engineering... |