POP EVIL: Skeleton (HARD ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

"Skeletons" is already the seventh album for Pop Evil, which according to its leader, singer and songwriter Leigh Kakaty, served as an outlet after the COVID pandemic and the lockdown. It is the rage and the feeling of helplessness that are the source of inspiration for the band, who have warned that "Skeletons" will be a heavy, modern album, made for the stage.

Leigh Kakaty didn't hide the fact that the nu metal scene has had a great influence on his songwriting in recent years with bands like Linkin Park and Papa Roach. To deny it would be superfluous as the opening track, 'Paranoid', refers to it with a huge modern overblown production, in which all the sound effects are exaggerated to fill the sound space to the maximum in order to excite the US heavy/rock metal fan. There's no doubt that this is a continuation of "Verstatile" and obviously a far cry from the sound and style of the previous album, "Pop Evil". 'Circles', which follows, has the same characteristics as the previous track, with a few extra screams to make it more modern, as does 'Eye of the Storm' with its 30 seconds to Mars-like chorus and doubled vocals. Pop Evil even manages to make their tracks even more fat and technoid, especially on 'Dead Reckoning' in collaboration with Fit For A King.

If Pop Evil can be reproached for following the perfect modern Metal manual and favouring efficiency over originality, it must be admitted that they have done it rather well so far. It's clean, direct and powerful, the vocals are convincing, the rhythmic section is square with drums and bass often in unison, and the whole should really make its effect in concert. It's a pity then that the album runs out of steam in the middle. Placing 'Sound Of Glory' is a good idea to lower the intensity but it doesn't really take off despite its Depeche Mode feel in the treatment of the vocals on the chorus. 'Skeletons' and 'Worth It' which follow are pleasant but conventional (power) ballads and the last three tracks, which are collaborations, break away from the stereotypical style of the band but not enough to interest.

Just like the previous album, "Skeletons" is neither the announced wreck nor a masterpiece for Pop Evil, but it contains a few particularly successful tracks that stand out in a formatted whole with no great personality. An album intended for a rather young audience looking for some strong sensations without going too far in the extreme. - Official website

POP EVIL

SKELETON

AUTRE LABEL

HARD ROCK