SKULL - Bullet

SKULL is a fairly young indies band that has been largely underestimated in the visual scene. Though they haven't gained a lot of popularity, they've had some solid singles and a mini-album that point to impressive potential, and their live audience is so familiar with them, the choreography they've been able to make for SKULL songs is particularly complex compared to what's done for most bands. From rowdy head banging numbers to ballads and inspirational fun tunes, SKULL can do it all. Above all, their music seems to be composed for the purpose of live performances, so they insert a lot of head banging segments where they don't necessarily need to, thereby giving some songs a somewhat haphazard, schizophrenic feel. Nevertheless, their latest single to date, Bullet, released in March of 2008, is proof of their versatility and talent.

The title track opens with some mellow bass and light guitars that grow aggressive as Tetsuya's drum beat speeds up. Despite the initial death vocals and driving heavy sounds, the song unfolds as a very melody-oriented and beautiful rock song with ballad sensibilities. The refrain in particular is balladic as the vocal line floats almost in slow motion for the impacting and bittersweet "Sayōnara." Sakura's bass features prominently throughout and gets its own spotlight in the bridge. The song ends with Dai's violent and wild guitar play accompanied by a scream of rage from SIN, allowing fans to end on a wild and headbanging note.

The second song, L.S.D., is a legitimate heavy rock number. While the chorus is a little too cheery considering the dark rowdiness set up in the intro and verses, overall the song is a head banging number with a pronounced mosh feel. SIN demonstrates some thoroughly hard core death vocals that should serve him well if he continues down the heavy metal path, which SKULL could do very well with.

To get a taste of what SKULL is all about, their mini-album a Gate offers a more well-rounded picture, but for a single, Bullet will give you a taste of both their balladic and rowdy sides, the two halves that keep their fans coming back for more. Hopefully they will come out with a full album soon and show the world all they have to offer.