One of Tennessee’s most twisted “shock rock” bands originated from Almaville, Tennessee. Although SkeetZo N’ Krysis calls itself a rock ’n’ roll band, the core of its sound stands on some of the most unusual forms of hard rock. Synchronize, the most recent addition to the band’s discography, displays the band’s affinity for strange and unconventional topics. To sum it up, it isn’t an album for the faint of heart. It’s a record for listeners with a very strong taste for a precise style of hard rock. For those who can withstand several minutes of brutal hardcore madness, feel free to continue. If you have to question whether or not you fall into this category, it might be best to leave it alone.
As a general disclaimer, Synchronize is an offensive album. It’s the kind of music most parents would have a problem with. Just about every song on the album is explicit. Expect a borderline-uncomfortable listening experience. Things get aggressively sexual, and to an intense degree. Some of the songs are highly demeaning to women. The band presents it all in a comical style, but that doesn’t lighten things up. In fact, the delivery is a complete gimmick. Although not every hard rock band is gloom and doom, SkeetZo N’ Krysis fits that description spot-on.
The album opens with about five minutes of scripted nonsense. Alien characters banter back and forth about some irrelevant ordeal. The dialogue brings Adult Swim cartoons to mind. Tracks like these are a nice little break when used tastefully, but it isn’t a smart move for the opening track. The five-minute narrative is just too much. There isn’t anything wrong with tracks like these, but sometimes dialogue kills attention and interest quicker than most artists realize. The album is sprinkled with snippets like this. If bands push for this kind of creative approach, they should at least have something enticing to back it up. Instead the album is a chore to endure.
As a band, SkeetZo N’ Krysis sounds okay. The recordings on the album are another story. Overall, the mixes are messy and rough, which matches the direction of the album; however, certain elements are hard to hear clearly. If music fans attempt to push the rough subject matter aside, they’ll quickly discover the shoddy production. Some songs are better than others, but the lack of sonic continuity in the production is just as hard to follow as the awkward narrative. SkeetZo N’ Krysis has a unique approach, but it’s very difficult to find a diamond in the rough.
If this is your style, enjoy it for what it is. Synchronize is available on Spotify, or find more about SkeetZo N’ Krysis at facebook.com/skeetzonkrysis.
