Album Review - Skeleton Kid - It's A Funeral, Not A Fashion Statement

I've had the pleasure of meeting Skeleton Kid on a couple of occasions, and I have to say, they're a genuinely great bunch of guys! September 22nd sees the release of their debut album, It's A Funeral Not a Fashion Statement, (in case you hadn't seen the image above, lol). Fans would argue it's been a long time coming, but believe me, it is well worth the wait, as this is a fantastic album!!

Coming in at 9 tracks and playing for just over half an hour, my only issue is its not long enough, lol!! We start things off with Goodbye. Now traditionally, the opening track of an album should set the stall for what to expect for the remainder, and Goodbye is no exception, it's an instant classic. With Timmy C and Frankie G sharing vocal duties, as they do throughout most of the album, the smoother tone of Timmy's voice making way for a Frankie's screaming chorus. But that's not the whole story! There's a neat little twist to the end of the track, and it finishes it off beautifully. On that note, I'll say no more, you'll just have to listen. You Army, has a more metal feel to the intro, but the punk influences crash right back in with Timmy and Frankie's vocals, and the song almost becomes a vocal fight between the two of them, but it's another cracking track. Going Nowhere Fast is another mix of metal/punk that keeps the pace frantic and the mood angry, the recent single Memories has had somewhat of a facelift for obvious reasons, as when it was recorded Skeleton Kid were a 4 piece. Since then, there have been personnel changes, and they have dropped to a 3 piece, losing the second guitarist and installing Josh D behind the drums. It will be obvious to fans the difference that these changes have made to not just the sound of SK, but to the whole dynamic. For what it's worth, the facelift/remixing to Memories, have made it an even better track :)

We Stand Tall, sees Frankie take the lead in the vocals. It has the kind of anthemic chorus, that in a local venue filled with adoring fans would have the whole place bouncing and shouting along. It also allows Frankie to show off his guitar skills with a cool little solo. Theres a brief respite in pace with Bones Beyond, but no respite in intensity, with almost another power struggle in the vocal department. Miles From Home, in my opinion, is the stand out track on the album. It has an almost Queenlike feel to the guitar work from Frankie, and there's a cracking solo in the mix too. The track is quite a departure from the normal punk/metal theme of the rest of the album. There's an awesome drums only chorus that sounds like a group of mates sat singing in a pub, it's just a great track and should seriously be considered for release as a single. Save Us Now (The End) takes us back to the punk roots, and theres a glimpse of some eighties influenced electronica in there too. Tear It Down, brings the album to a close, and is a menacing mixture mix of rock/punk/metal with a bit of deathcore screamo vocals thrown in for good measure. Again, Frankie shows off his guitar skills with another great solo.

It's A Funeral Not A Fashion Statement, is a great mix of different styles, with punk/metal/gothic/rock/glam all having a say somewhere along the line. The nine tracks are all release quality, with nothing in the way of fillers in sight. Fans are simply gonna love it, and I'm pretty certain it will also help the guys raise a whole new army of support.

Full Track list:
1 Goodbye
2 You Army
3 Going Nowhere Fast
4 Memories
5 We Stand Tall
6 Bones Beyond
7 Miles From Home
8 Save Us Now (The End)
9 Tear It Down