Much to many fans' disappointment, "Baile de Los Locos," the latest album by revolutionary Riverside Calif. punk/ska band, the Voodoo Glow Skulls, does not meet up to the style and quality they built up in their previous two albums.
The Voodoo Glow Skulls are well-known for their mastery of both ska and punk, and this album, to the chagrin of ska fans all over, is heavily rooted in punk.
Perhaps a much more well-known band, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, is famous for having done the same. The Bosstones also raised ska to a heavier level, emphasizing both horns and guitar. Despite the initial dissatisfaction with this, the Bosstones have risen to astronomical heights.
In their previous two albums, "Who Is This Is?" and "Firme," the Voodoo Glow Skulls, or VGS, have mastered the musical scene by merging punk rock and ska into a unique mix that few have been able to surpass. Amongst many ska fans is a desire to have a type of music in which the traditional horn-supported ska beat is raised to the next level of ferocity and becomes much harder.
The new album is characterized by its hard tunes, perceived by many as far too hard. The new album is defiantly more punk than their last two and lacks much of the musical emphasis compared to the last two.
The horns are not as prominent, and the traditional ska upbeat does not stand out. Rather, the album focuses on hard guitars with no seeming beat. The lyrics are hard to make out, and the audience must listen very carefully to make out what the band is attempting to say.
Many of the songs seem somewhat disorganized and not reigned by rhythm as most ska is. It is hard to find a beat in many of the tunes, as is present in "Freeballin." The lyrics on many sound simply like the lead singer is yelling to have his voice heard over the band.
Despite this, there is a hint of traditional ska/punk on this album. "Los Hombres no Lloran," an instrumental track, is a perfect mix of guitars, horns and drums. It is followed by "Nazican," where VGS again demonstrates its remembrance of its past music which loyal fans love even up until today.
Unique to the Voodoo Glow Skulls, and this album in particular, is the presence of tracks sung solely in Spanish. The bastion of culture present in Southern California has influenced band members' personal lives, and is ultimately seen in their music.
The last album produced by VGS, "Firme," was released in both English and Spanish versions -- this addition to ska is appreciated by many.
The message on this album chronicles one of the struggles that a popular band of the hard-core genre, such as the Voodoo Glow Skulls, go through. As is present in the music scene, many fans accuse bands of selling out, and bands such as VGS are forced to deal with issues such as this quite frequently. Throughout the album, the band acknowledges the past and where they have come from, which is partly a response to some fans' accusations.
One thing to be said about this album and any other hardcore album, is that it takes time for the listener to appreciate it. When "Firme," VGS's second album, came out, many fans had many of the same complaints as are surfacing with this album -- it was too hard and not musical enough.
However, after time the album grows on the listener, much like "Baile de Los Locos" will do as well. VGS did not achieve the same success with this latest attempt as they did with their past two albums.
For anyone looking towards getting into the ska/punk scene, take a look at their previous two albums first, as they are more representative of the genre and their work.
The Voodoo Glow Skulls acknowledge the new turn that their music has taken, in describing it as "one fast, energetic track after another." Many old school fans of VGS find themselves somewhat resisting this change, yearning for the more musical tracks of the old VGS.
However, many anticipate that, with time, this album will gain more widespread acceptance and increase the bands popularity to new heights.
