Skinlab

Bound, Gagged and Blindfolded (Century Media)
by Scott Hefflon

Sounding like a hybrid of Machine Head, Sepultura, and Neurosis, Skinlab come blasting out of the Bay Area. Combining the moodiness of Neurosis with the guttural roar and technical ability of Machine Head and Sepultura, Skinlab creates a monstrous, dark, crisp yet dirty-sounding album. Imagine a lumbering dinosaur. While it seems to trudge, it can actually run down your puny ass by utilizing its huge muscles. Calculated and controlled in motion, what’s viewed as a dumb brute can still squash you like a bug. And, production-wise, while the T Rex glistens with a beautiful sheen, there is dirt and blood lodged deep in the scales and claws, but you won’t appreciate that ’til the beast is upon you.