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Review: SKINTRADE “Scarred For Life” (2015)

Posted by tarjavirmakari on September 20, 2015
Posted in: News, Reviews. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

Review by Teresa Hopkins

Skintrade-coverArtist:  SKINTRADE
Album:  “Scarred For Life”
Label: AOR HEAVEN
Release Date: July 24, 2015

Tracklist:
01.  Scarred For Life
02.  Goodbye
03.  Wide Awake
04.  Lay With Me
05.  Find A Way
06.  LoveHate
07.  Leave A Scar
08.  Broken
09.  Storm Will Come
10.  15 Minutes Gone

Formed in 1992, the initial 5-piece band SKINTRADE, from Stockholm, Sweden—Matti Alfonzetti (vocals), George Bravo (guitar, backing vocals), Stefan Bergström (guitar, backing vocals),  Håkan Calmroth (bass) and Håkan Persson (drums, backing vocals)– released their self-titled debut the following year (featuring songs such as ‘Soul Sister’ and ‘Sick As A Dog’) to a very positive response.  1995’s “Roach Powder” was a grungier, heavier follow-up album from which videos for ‘Flies’ and ‘Snap Goes Your Mind’ were regularly featured near the end of MTV’s “Headbangers’ Ball” era.  Although the band parted ways near the end of the year, fans never forgot them, nor did they relent in their encouragement for the guys to make music again.

So, sixteen years later in May of 2011, the guys met up and played some songs together.  They decided to record a few songs in the months following, three of which were featured on their 2012 best-of compilation entitled “Past and Present”.  That fueled a new energy within the band, and they decided to continue from there (although without original guitarist George Bravo), writing and recording enough songs over the next year and a half to release 2014’s aptly titled high-octane comeback album, “Refueled”.   With songs like ‘Monster’, ‘Wild One’, and ‘Hardcore MF Heartattack’, SKINTRADE‘s mojo was still alive and well.

Continuing with this new era, SKINTRADE‘s latest release, “Scarred For Life”, kicks off a one-two punch in overdrive with the title track and ‘Goodbye’, and they keep the momentum going for the duration of the album.   A good surprise among the album’s ten tracks was their decision to rework ‘Wide Awake’, the Max Martin-penned hit made famous first by Katy Perry.  I’m always intrigued to hear what creative ideas a band has in amping up a song and putting their own personal stamp on it.  I like the lyrics of the song, and nothing against Ms. Perry, but I think I dig this version more—it has a darker, dreamier, and heavier feel and keeps with the band’s sound, fitting right in among the rest of the tracks very nicely.

Long-time fans may recall that Matti put out three solo albums during SKINTRADE‘s dormant period.   The venture into slightly less aggressive-sounding rock than the band’s early material and the passage of time may have quelled (or maybe more accurately, focused) a bit of that anger in his voice, but the maturity from life experiences about which he sings—messy breakups, broken dreams, and moving on through grief among them—has lent a strength and conviction to his delivery that can easily be felt by the listener.  And he sounds better than ever these days—without the need of enhancement.  “Find A Way”, a moving and poignant ode to his father, is one of ten proof-positives on this album of why I consider Matti Alfonzetti prime among his peers.

What impresses me so much about this album is the absence of anything fancy, gimmicky, or over the top.  None of that is needed here!  Matti and Stefan Bergström create a wall-of-guitars sound, and with Håkan Calmroth’s steady driving grooves and the snap and sparkle that show off Håkan Persson’s percussive talents, the band’s palpable energy channels pure rock and roll.  Bergström’s lead breaks are more extensions of the songs themselves than departures from them, giving great continuity and flow.  The band is so tight, ever complementing and supporting Matti and each other, like parts of a well-oiled, hopped-up engine with open headers and some serious kick-ass horsepower.  This no-frills, no filler album is meant to be played loud and often—and I have been very happy to oblige.  What a soundtrack it makes for a run on the open road!  And it gets better with every listen.

Full of tasty riffs, hot energy, and irresistible hooks that make every song a gem, I think SKINTRADE has found their niche with “Scarred For Life”.

(rating 9/10)

Band Members:
Matti Alfonzetti – Vocals, Guitar
Stefan Bergström – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Håkan Calmroth – Bass
Håkan Persson – Drums, Backing Vocals

http://skintradesweden.com/
http://www.facebook.com/skintradesweden
https://itunes.apple.com/se/album/scarred-for-life/id1021309208?l=en

Skintrade-2015

SKINTRADE Comeback Album Due In Weeks

Posted by tarjavirmakari on December 31, 2013
Posted in: News. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

Source: Classic Rock Magazine

Swedish veterans SKINTRADE will release Refueled, their first all-new album since 1995, in February via AOR Heaven Records, they’ve confirmed.

skintrade

The lineup of original members Matti Alfonzetti, Stefan Bergstrom, Hakan Calmroth and Hakan Persson have recorded a set of songs with titles including Liar, Close My Eyes, Been To The Bottom and Dynamo Sequence.

They say: “Refueled represents everything we stood for in the past and exactly where we are at the present. Our focus always was and always will be on the songwriting, and ferocious riffs and grooves to match.”

Skintrade gained acclaim for their 1993 self-titled debut and its 1995 follow-up Roach Powder. They split later that year but reactivated in 2011 without guitarist George Bravo. Last year they released Past And Present, which included three brand-new tracks and one previously unreleased song.

More information on Skintrade at https://www.facebook.com/skintradesweden

SKINTRADE: New Single Available For Streaming

Posted by tarjavirmakari on March 5, 2012
Posted in: News. Tagged: . Leave a comment

“Falling To Pieces”, the new single from reformed Swedish hard rockers SKINTRADE, can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

SKINTRADE will release a “best-of” album on March 21 via Universal Music. The CD will include three new songs and 12 classics.

SKINTRADE was formed in 1992 by Matti Alfonzetti (vocals), George Bravo (guitar, backing vocals), Stefan Bergström (guitar, backing vocals), Hakan Calmroth (bass) and Håkan Persson (drums, backing vocals). The group’s self-titled debut was released in 1993 and received overwhelmingly positive respnse from both media and audience. The singles “Sick As A Dog” and “One By One” were played frequently on the radio and their videos spun on MTV‘s “Headbangers Ball”. The same year, SKINTRADE was honored with a Zeppelin award for “Best Hard Rock Album” and was nominated for a Swedish Grammis (Grammy equivalent) in the category of “Best Video.” The follow-up CD, “Roach Powder”, came out in 1995 with Thomas Skogsberg as a producer (ENTOMBED, DISMEMBER). The videos for the singles “Snap Goes Your Mind” and “Flies” were played regularly on MTV.

Between 1993 and 1995, SKINTRADE embarked on several tours of Europe and played at some of Sweden’s and Europe’s biggest festivals such as Sweden Rock, Hultsfred, Dala Rock, Dynamo Open Air (Holland) and Rock Am Ring (Germany). SKINTRADE also supported the Danish band D-A-D on their European tour in 1995. One of their last and most memorable gigs took place in late 1995 with the Irish band THERAPY? during a live radio show in Amsterdam, Netherlands. SKINTRADE disbanded shortly thereafter.

The idea for the SKINTRADE members to collaborate again came about as they got more and more requests from fans asking them to make new music. During the first rehearsal in May 2011, it became obvious that the band’s chemistry was very much intact.
In the summer and autumn of 2011, SKINTRADE recorded four new songs at Sound Trade Studios with their old friend and partner Ronny Lahti, engineer and producer who previously worked with the band on all the recordings in the ’90s.

SKINTRADE 2012 is:

Matti Alfonzetti – Vocals, Guitar
Stefan Bergström – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Håkan Calmroth – Bass
Håkan Persson – Drums, Backing Vocals

Source: Blabbermouth.net

Sweden’s SKINTRADE Is Back!

Posted by tarjavirmakari on February 1, 2012
Posted in: News. Tagged: . Leave a comment

Reformed Swedish hard rockers SKINTRADE will release a “best-of” album on March 21 via Universal Music. The CD will include three new songs and 12 classics.

SKINTRADE was formed in 1992 by Matti Alfonzetti (vocals), George Bravo (guitar, backing vocals), Stefan Bergström (guitar, backing vocals), Hakan Calmroth (bass) and Håkan Persson (drums, backing vocals). The group’s self-titled debut was released in 1993 and received overwhelmingly positive respnse from both media and audience. The singles “Sick As A Dog” and “One By One” were played frequently on the radio and their videos spun on MTV‘s “Headbangers Ball”. The same year, SKINTRADE was honored with a Zeppelin award for “Best Hard Rock Album” and was nominated for a Swedish Grammis (Grammy equivalent) in the category of “Best Video.” The follow-up CD, “Roach Powder”, came out in 1995 with Thomas Skogsberg as a producer (ENTOMBED, DISMEMBER). The videos for the singles “Snap Goes Your Mind” and “Flies” were played regularly on MTV.

Between 1993 and 1995, SKINTRADE embarked on several tours of Europe and played at some of Sweden’s and Europe’s biggest festivals such as Sweden Rock, Hultsfred, Dala Rock, Dynamo Open Air (Holland) and Rock Am Ring (Germany). SKINTRADE also supported the Danish band D-A-D on their European tour in 1995. One of their last and most memorable gigs took place in late 1995 with the Irish band THERAPY? during a live radio show in Amsterdam, Netherlands. SKINTRADE disbanded shortly thereafter.

The idea for the SKINTRADE members to collaborate again came about as they got more and more requests from fans asking them to make new music. During the first rehearsal in May 2011, it became obvious that the band’s chemistry was very much intact.

In the summer and autumn of 2011, SKINTRADE recorded four new songs at Sound Trade Studios with their old friend and partner Ronny Lahti, engineer and producer who previously worked with the band on all the recordings in the ’90s.

SKINTRADE 2012 is:

Matti Alfonzetti – Vocals, Guitar
Stefan Bergström – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Håkan Calmroth – Bass
Håkan Persson – Drums, Backing Vocals

Source: Blabbermouth.net