Time Signature Heart of Africa...

Hailing from Botswana, Skinflint hail from a metal scene which is totally unknown to me, as I really don't know anything about African metal. "Dipoko" was released in 2012 and constitutes my first acquaintance with this African trio, which consists of Juice Sbrana on guitars and vocals, Sandra Sbrana on drums, and "Raskebo" Nkoloso on bass.

Musically, "Dipoko" treats the listener to traditional heavy metal with touches of old school power metal and hard rock. It seems that NWoBHM is a major source of inspiration for Skinflint, which is reflected in plenty of twin guitar harmonies and song structures characterized by a number of changes, breakdowns and build ups - as in 'The Mist of Madness' or 'Olitau'. The riffage is generally straightforward and solid, while the twin guitar sections are more weaving and complex. Iron Maiden in particular seems to have influenced Skinflint, although the trio definitely take their music in their own direction, infusing it with lyrical themes evolving around African culture and myth, which actually lends itself beautifully to heavy metal music.

The production is perhaps a bit crude, leaning towards lo-fi, and Juice's vocals are perhaps a bit too aggressive for the music which is otherwise very melodic. That being said, I found myself enjoying this album much more than I had expected. I like the melodic guitars and the raw drumming, but the outstanding aspect of the album is Raskebo's bass, which is at the forefront and becomes a driving element of the overall sound of the album. The bass has a nice raw and sharp sound thanks to Raskebo's usage of a pick.

Because of the production, I don't think this is an album that will appeal to everyone. I, for one, ended up liking the raw sound, as it gives the album an old school sound. Fans of traditional metal who do not mind a raw production should definitely check this album out.

Kev Rowland Skinflint’s second album was originally released in 2010, but only as a CD-R in their home country of Botswana, and following on from the commercial release of their third album, Pure Steel have now made this album available with two bonus songs. This appears to be a concept album, with the gentle spoken introduction with acoustic guitar telling the story. This is actually one of the most powerful numbers on the album, as it is only here that the true African element really comes through as a point of difference. The rest of the album is traditional heavy metal, mixing together elements of Iron Maiden with some early Sepultura, and the result being something that is okay but nothing ever more than that.

Bassist Raskebo has a nice touch, and his work as a second lead melody instrument definitely lifts the overall sound, but the songs aren’t really strong enough to demand much attention on the international market. Now that they have been signed to an overseas label, and will therefore gain a lot more attention from outside their own country, it will be interesting to see if Skinflint will be able to lift their game to become known for their music as opposed to being renowned just as a metal band from Botswana.

Kev Rowland Skinflint, who were formed in 2005, is a three piece African Heavy Metal band from Botswana consisting of Giuseppe Sbrana aka Juice (guitar/vocals), Kebonye Nkoloso aka Raskebo (bass) and Sandra Sbrana aka Hurricane Sandy (drums). They have toured and headlined festivals across Africa, as well as supporting acts such as Carcass. This is their fourth full-length album, but the first that has been made available as an official release as opposed to a CD-R. Their aim is to mix traditional heavy metal (which has been very influenced indeed by early Iron Maiden) with African lyrical ideas to create something that in many ways is different to the musical scene in their own country, and also different to the metal scene outside of Africa.

Raskebo is the person driving the main difference, as he is using a plectrum which gives the bass a very distinct sound, and is at the forefront in a manner not often heard outside of Maiden. It isn’t unusual for him to be taking the lead, or providing a direct harmony to Juice. They somehow manage to often produce a sound that really doesn’t sound like a trio as there is the impression of more guitars even though in reality they are not there. Juice has been listening a lot to Max Cavalera in terms of vocal approach, which gives the band a harder edge than the music actually deserves, as it is only when listening intently that one realises that in reality there isn’t anything incredibly special going on after all. There is no doubt that these are one of the top metal bands in Africa, but it doesn’t really translate into the wider world scene. This is okay, nothing more or less, but it is going to take more than this to enable them to break out of Botswana and make a real impact in America or Europe. www.skinflintmetal.com