Skullians
Toronto, Ontario, Canada | SELF
Music
Press
Growing tired of the Britneys, the Beyonces and the Beibers? How about settling in with a bona fide walk through old school 2nd generation punk from The Skullians? Their 10 track sonic assault is a welcome reprieve from the sterile, faceless, groove less, melange that is 21st Century corporate pop music. I'm not talking about a retro flashback here, either.
The Skullians' 'Pure' is hip and happening and 'now' and could easily have been recorded in my living room yesterday. It's immediate and in your face. It would make a good companion disc to Pickering's Swindled who released 'It's Only Peace That You Want...' last year. Where Swindled tread the political spectrum, The Skullians are all about life in the not-so-fast lane.
The album kicks off with a rolling 'n' ruckus anthem in "Doomsville" about the crushing negative cloud permeating the news and the world in general. It's 1:11 of pure, unfettered energy. "Welcome to...welcome to...welcome to....Doomsville/Population US!!" Singer and guitarist Evan delivers the message with aplomb.
By comparison The Sex Pistolesque "So Low" - a clever play on words about the sexually frustrated going 'solo', is a sonic train wreck which teeters on the rails with Greg's drumming (no last names for these punks) that isn't quite 'on'. But the beauty is that it's juxtaposed against a catchy melodic guitar solo courtesy of Candice and the whole damm gang of hooligan singing the choruses and screaming the requisite "Hey! Hey! Hey!".You can't help but yell along.
"Heatscore" cranks the speed up a notch and then again when Candice takes over the vocals on "Black Eyes" which treads into Speedcore territory. She does an even better turn on "Last Call" which reminds one of the best Black Flag and Exploited party tracks. The rest of the band trades off vocals on alternating verses.
"Landsdowne & Bloor" gives us a third vocalist in Mike the bassist (I believe as Greg the drummer apparently sings too!) and another anthem to chant along to. The local Toronto subject makes the band all the more accessible cause this reviewer has spent many a dingy bar hop playing piss holes and rehearsing in dumps at that very intersection. "Amesbury Park" could easily be a Part 2 to this track (same vocalist).
The best track on the disc is easily "M.A.T.T." ("Moderation All the Time") which might be this band's closest step towards a commercial break-through track. It has hooks, melodic harmonies in the chorus and the song is under three minutes long. Radio likes K-Tel edits...The Skullians deliver that without having to compromise content by editing anything.
If you've got a penchant for The Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, Exploited, The Germs and Circle Jerks, The Skullians are for you! - Cashbox Canada
Growing tired of the Britneys, the Beyonces and the Beibers? How about settling in with a bona fide walk through old school 2nd generation punk from The Skullians? Their 10 track sonic assault is a welcome reprieve from the sterile, faceless, groove less, melange that is 21st Century corporate pop music. I'm not talking about a retro flashback here, either.
The Skullians' 'Pure' is hip and happening and 'now' and could easily have been recorded in my living room yesterday. It's immediate and in your face. It would make a good companion disc to Pickering's Swindled who released 'It's Only Peace That You Want...' last year. Where Swindled tread the political spectrum, The Skullians are all about life in the not-so-fast lane.
The album kicks off with a rolling 'n' ruckus anthem in "Doomsville" about the crushing negative cloud permeating the news and the world in general. It's 1:11 of pure, unfettered energy. "Welcome to...welcome to...welcome to....Doomsville/Population US!!" Singer and guitarist Evan delivers the message with aplomb.
By comparison The Sex Pistolesque "So Low" - a clever play on words about the sexually frustrated going 'solo', is a sonic train wreck which teeters on the rails with Greg's drumming (no last names for these punks) that isn't quite 'on'. But the beauty is that it's juxtaposed against a catchy melodic guitar solo courtesy of Candice and the whole damm gang of hooligan singing the choruses and screaming the requisite "Hey! Hey! Hey!".You can't help but yell along.
"Heatscore" cranks the speed up a notch and then again when Candice takes over the vocals on "Black Eyes" which treads into Speedcore territory. She does an even better turn on "Last Call" which reminds one of the best Black Flag and Exploited party tracks. The rest of the band trades off vocals on alternating verses.
"Landsdowne & Bloor" gives us a third vocalist in Mike the bassist (I believe as Greg the drummer apparently sings too!) and another anthem to chant along to. The local Toronto subject makes the band all the more accessible cause this reviewer has spent many a dingy bar hop playing piss holes and rehearsing in dumps at that very intersection. "Amesbury Park" could easily be a Part 2 to this track (same vocalist).
The best track on the disc is easily "M.A.T.T." ("Moderation All the Time") which might be this band's closest step towards a commercial break-through track. It has hooks, melodic harmonies in the chorus and the song is under three minutes long. Radio likes K-Tel edits...The Skullians deliver that without having to compromise content by editing anything.
If you've got a penchant for The Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, Exploited, The Germs and Circle Jerks, The Skullians are for you! - Cashbox Canada
"Skullians are a touch more raw, led by the brash and brilliant Candice Skullian. The sound is huge on frenzied drumming and snarly, jagged guitar riffage. Their violent, beer-and-sweat-drenched punk is the perfect antidote to cultural apathy. Like, if you’re in the bar you don’t have a choice." - CashBox Magazine Canada
Nine tracks in around 17 minutes. Sounds perfect, doesn't it? Well, not really if the music sucks, but then this is the Skullians so that’s not really going to be something you encounter.
What you've got here is a band that seem to have a sheer enjoyment of playing punk rock music, not being overtly preachy but are out to have some fun (witness their promo video on YouTube and you will get that message square in the face).
All four members of the band are credited as being on vocals and I can certainly discern at least three different voices throughout the album which keeps the whole thing quite fresh. All three voices are different, too (one sounds exactly like Wilf from the Bullet Kings—quite a gruff but tuneful voice) so that mixes it up a bit, though personally I favour Candice’s vocals over the others.
At times there is a sort of Rancid feel to some of the songs but without it sounding as it they are looking for a safe option on a search for superstardom. Other times there is a UK82 sound but not in the plodding way that some of that music is dated, as there is a good pace to the songs.
The last three tracks (“Amesbury Park”, “Afterparty!” and “Last Call”) on the album are probably the strongest, but it is “Last Call” that stands out above all others as it sounds like they’re really having a ball and it sounds like their anthem, if they have one. This song even manages to remind me of the Abrasive Wheels at their peak, which is no bad thing.
Skullians—they look punk, they sound punk, they are punk. Of this there can be no doubt. - Rich Cocksedge
Vicious guitar riffs, relentless drum frenzies, vocal variety and enough sharp-edged attitude to inspire a back-alley brawl: These elements dominate Skullians' Pure debut album.
The Toronto punk quartet formed in 2005 and have refined their songwriting through regular live performance. Their sound is big, brash, irresistibly fun and fully realized in "Black Eyes" and "Afterparty!" There's lots of heavy jagged guitar and just enough melody and chord progression to keep things interesting.
Guitarists Candice Ryerson and Evan MacKinnon alternate on lead vocals while sometimes they harmonize, changing things up from song to song. MacKinnon has a terrific gravelly growl on full display in "Lansdowne & Bloor" and "Amesbury Park," songs referencing T.O.'s drug culture.
At 17-plus minutes, Pure is short and sweet. But the album also could've been named after its second track, "Doomsville," with references to Toronto as violent (brief opener "416" hints at the G20 fiasco) and drugged-out ("Heatscore" is a story of smoking crack in Tim Horton's).
Closer "Last Call" might be a bit maudlin, but certainly not at the expense of rockin' energy — which is Pure's greatest weapon. Punk will never die as long as bands like Skullian continue to bring that sweaty, violent vigour to life. - Jody McCutcheon
"The spirit of punk and rock converge to unleash an energy-drenched live show of heavy duty proportions. A chaotic assembly of chugging guitars, percussive assaults, and rapidfire vocals that's soaked in beer and sweat. This hurricane of raw-fucking-attitude speaks louder than the volume, invoking memories of an era when rock 'n roll was the fear of every parent. This well-oiled machine, aka, Skullians, is the perfect drinking band. And coming to a venue near you." - Lonely Vagabond
"Pure is becoming one of my favourite local band releases of 2010. Thank you for making this album." - Steve Heretik, 105.5FM Monday Mayhem
"Pure is becoming one of my favourite local band releases of 2010. Thank you for making this album." - Steve Heretik, 105.5FM Monday Mayhem
Discography
2012 "Don't Take it to Heart" - Full Length Album
2010 PURE - Full Length Album
2007 Noise from the North
2009 Skullians Toronto Punx EP
www.myspace.com/skullians
www.youtube.com/skullianstorontopunx
Photos
Bio
Welcome! You have reached the online headquarters of Skullians, a hard-living, head-banging party punk band from Toronto, Ontario. We've been writing and performing cheerfully violent tunes since 2005! March 17th is our eighth anniversary, which makes you think that whatever curse was placed on us would have been lifted by now, but happily we're all still hexed.
Skullians are made up of vocalist and guitarist Candice Demandice Ryerson, vocalist and guitarist Evan "Spuds" MacKinnon, bassist and vocalist Mike Don Skulliano Castellano and drummer and vocalist Greg G$ Kowalczyk. Every single one of us spits, swears, screams and snarls in this band, and the combination of our four foul mouths helps give Skullians its unique sound.
The story of Skullians begins as many of the best adventures do: with alcohol. Evan drunkenly called Mike one night, asking if he wanted to start a band, and Mike (probably also drunk) said, Sure! They thought it was still a good idea when they were hungover, and so the band was born. Original drummer Andy Desticamento joined shortly after, in mid-2005. Candice came aboard the band in 2008, and became the organizational backbone of the band. When Andy decided to leave Skullians to pursue other projects in 2010, the band had to endure less than a week of being stuck in drummerless purgatory before Greg came along, giving Skullians the engine it needed. Since then we have been kicking all kinds of ass!
We love playing live, and have supported countless acts in Toronto, including The Casualties, DOA, Dead Kennedys, Dayglo Abortions, The Dwarves, Subhumans (Canada), & Guttermouth. We've played a few festivals as well, including S.C.E.N.E.F.E.S.T, and PouzzaFest. We have also been signed to two international record labels (Infested Records in Illinois, USA and STP Records in Manchester, U.K.). We've also had the opportunity to tour Ontario and Quebec, and have ambitions plans for future foreign conquest. We've basically played at every venue Toronto has to offer, including The Horseshoe, The Bovine Sex Club, Sound Academy, Lee's Palace, and the list goes on.
We released our debut full-length, Pure, in 2010, and our second record, Don't Take it to Heart, has been pressed and physically released in the Canada, U.S.A. & the U.K. While we've received plenty of love from out neighbours to the South and across the pond, Canadian media and label support has been more elusive. Luckily, our Canadian fans keep us going, fuelling our Our passion is playing live and entertaining people, and we are damn good at it.
In our sound, we hope to balance dirty brutality with a good-natured party vibe. We love the spirit and movement of the Dropkick Murphys, the snarling defiance of Rancid. Add in some cheap beer and some good, old-fashioned Toronto dystopia and you are starting to have an idea what we sound like.
If the musical equivalent of the most fun you've ever had in a bar brawl sounds like a good time to you, give us a listen on SoundCloud, and check out our videos on YouTube. Also be sure to take a look at our Facebook page for updates and show announcements.
Like what you hear? Then get in touch! Candice does all our booking, and you can reach her at skullianstopunx@gmail.com
A kickass review of out debut album, Pure:
Vicious guitar riffs, relentless drum frenzies, vocal variety and enough sharp-edged attitude to inspire a back-alley brawl: These elements dominate Skullians' Pure debut album. The Toronto punk quartet formed in 2005 and have refined their songwriting through regular live performance. Their sound is big, brash, irresistibly fun and fully realized in "Black Eyes" and "Afterparty!" There's lots of heavy jagged guitar and just enough melody and chord progression to keep things interesting. Guitarists Candice Ryerson and Evan MacKinnon alternate on lead vocals while sometimes they harmonize, changing things up from song to song. MacKinnon has a terrific gravelly growl on full display in "Lansdowne & Bloor" and "Amesbury Park," songs referencing T.O.'s drug culture. At 17-plus minutes, Pure is short and sweet. But the album also could've been named after its second track, "Doomsville," with references to Toronto as violent (brief opener "416" hints at the G20 fiasco) and drugged-out ("Heatscore" is a story of smoking crack in Tim Horton's). Closer "Last Call" might be a bit maudlin, but certainly not at the expense of rockin' energy which is Pure's greatest weapon. Punk will never die as long as bands like Skullians continue to bring that sweaty, violent vigour to life.
- Jody McCutcheon, chartATTACK
Band Members
Links
