Holy “blogger fringe benefits, Batman!” I had an awesome opportunity to hear the 3 soon to be released songs from Skipping Stone’s upcoming “Monsters of Men” EP prior to it’s release date on February 18th, 2022. Skipping Stone is an alternative hard rock band with influences such as Breaking Benjamin, Bullet for my Valentine and Chevelle. I truly enjoyed the melodic vocals, heavy riffs, and shredding guitar solos.
Four of the songs on the EP are already currently released, with corresponding music videos published on their YouTube channel. They are an active live band that have landed opportunities to play with bands the likes of Blacktop Mojo, The Lonely Ones (formerly, Bobaflex), and others. They will be hosting a release party in support of the release in their hometown of Louisville.
What I find to be the most fascinating about the band, is that front man Jordan Carlson, according to the band, had lost most of his hearing as a small child. To quote the band:
“Despite his disability he pursues his dream of a music career and defies the odds.”
That is pretty damn remarkable. The band also consists of Kelly Hood and Thomas Hicks on guitar, Chris Eger on Bass, and Jose Gonzalez on Drums.
Their catalog (on Spotify) only goes back to 2020 (as in late 2020 in December) releasing their anthemic first single “Wither,” and introducing a “Breaking Benjamin-ish” alternative rock vibe that was to be the nucleus of their overall sound to come.
In 2021, the band released a pair of singles. The first being “CMD (Call Me Daddy)” in April, a melodic Hard Rock song that reminds of something I’d hear on my home town’s KDOT hard rock radio station (or whatever “dot” equivalent that exists in your town). The second single of 2021 was “Monster,” followed up by an early 2022 single, “Never Die” just released last month. All of this leading up to a compilation of all previously released singles, plus 3 unreleased tracks, to make up the EP.
The track listing:
- Intro
- Monster
- Trust Me (Everything is Going To Be Fine)
- Never Die
- C.M.D. (Call Me Daddy)
- Wither
- Red
“Intro” is just that, a composition with an assortment of string arrangements that do a great job of carrying a tension and build up to what is going to be a rocking album. It’s one of the three previously unreleased tracks. The EP then kicks right into gear with “Monster,” a great choice to set the tone for the record. It is a super catchy, upbeat, rocking song that was released, fittingly, last Halloween. The first thing that struck a chord with me about this song was the lyrics. There’s a whole lot I really like about it, from bouncy grooves, to ripping solos, but on first listen, it was the lyrics. They’re profound, dark, and so well delivered vocally. A couple of my favorite lines:
“I’m the monster here, keep your conscience clear, it’s too late to change, this demon you can’t save”
“I’m the fear you can’t conquer, I not a man, I’m a monster”
“Trust Me” is the next track on the EP, it is the second previously unreleased track. This is a significant track to the release as it also has a music video dropping the same day as the EP. Keep up with their YouTube channel to catch the premiere. Musically, I think this track is where I hear more of the Chevelle influence, at least in the guitar work.
The EP moves to what I think is their heaviest track, “Never Die.” The chorus is what you’d come to expect from their sound, a nice hook with melodically placed growls, but what stands out to me on this one is the verses, I hear similarities to some of the same influences perhaps Alice In Chains shared, particularly when I think of their old bootleg demos.
“CMD” and “Wither” follow before the EP closes out with the third previously unreleased song, “Red.” A nice acoustic song, still sounding like all the alternative rock influences referenced before, but this one has some more folky, country western guitar progressions. Kind of like a vibe I get from Poor Man’s Poison, which is awesome.
Find out more about Skipping Stone here:
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