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SKULL FIST
Chasing The Dream

NoiseArt (2014)
Rating: 8.5/10

Skull Fist is, as I’m sure you can tell by their moniker, a straight up heavy metal band who hail from Canadian shores. In 2011 they released their debut album, Head Öf The Pack, which came a year after their impressive Heavier Than Metal EP. And it seems these guys are going to be a prolific act to follow because now they’ve merged with their second full-length outing Chasing The Dream, a solid, ballsy heavy metal composition boasting nine top-notch tracks to get that head banging once again.

The band is still fronted by Jackie Slaughter who seems to get stronger on each release, and those powerful and quite distinctive vocals are backed by the drumming prowess of Chris Steve, the bolshy bass of Casey Slade and the guitar talents of Jonny Nesta, who aids Slaughter on those strings.

What we have here is a batch of high quality heavy metal tunes that begin with the searing hot ‘Hour To Live’, which features a killer guitar intro before chugging like a thrash demon. This is clearly antique metal and yet with a distinctly modern edge, particularly in the melodies. The choruses are infectious and the production crisp, enabling the energy of this band to shine through.

‘Bad For Good’ offers a slab of 80s-inspired classic metal as it trudges with intent, showcasing the drumming ability of Chris Steve over those subtle vocal harmonies which you know are just going to explode like fireworks at any moment. The catchy chorus has hair metal glitz written all over it as the band swagger through a dazzling array of solos, hooks and stirring arrangements to keep the listener engulfed by the metal.

The same can also be said for the enigmatic title track, but more so my two favourite tracks, ‘Mean Street Rider’ and ‘Sign Of The Warrior’, the former being a full-blooded power metal workout featuring effortless vocals and a smooth musical delivery aided by inch-perfect percussion. ‘Sign Of The Warrior’ tumbles in with a fantastic drum sprint and a classy, traditional metal guitar lead before Slaughter’s banshee wail leads us into another fist-pounding piece of work that hints at Iron Maiden melted with Euro power metal.

There is something so joyous and uplifting about the Skull Fist sound. There is nary a crack in sight as the band delivers hot rocker after hot rocker, and the lyrics of ‘Mean Street Rider’ seem to say it all as Jackie Slaughter belts out, “Mean street rider, it’s the feeling that I’m only getting higher. Mean street rider riding with desire, follow me and I will take you higher”.

These guys are one of the only groups I’ve heard who so masterfully incorporate classic metal into their sound and yet seem to make it their own. There is nothing false or meagre about Chasing The Dream, and I can see this release taking them to the top of the mountain because this is high quality metal played at a riveting standard and I can’t see anyone else challenging them for the crown. It’s no wonder there’s a buzz about these guys, so hop on and follow the dream with them.

Neil Arnold

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