Shakra - Snakes and Ladders Review

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Concise Summary:

Shakra is certainly not a new band, but Snakes and Ladders is the first album that I have listened to from them. The first thing that immediately stood out to me was the vocals. They are a bit too whiny for my liking; it sounds like the singer is singing through his nose but also adding compression to his vocals. That ends up making a raspy/whiny sound, kind of like early M. Shadows vocals from Avenged Sevenfold, but not as refined and with a warmer, more full rasp. As I think about it, 
the singer from Shakra sounds a bit like the singer from Nocturnal Rites, but more nasally. Aside from that, I really like the instrumentals on this album: it's another cool example of throwback-sounding music with modern recording. I like the old-school approach of just drums, vocals, guitar, and bass without much for any other instruments. Because there aren't an overwhelming number of instruments going at once, no ear fatigue really sets in, and the mixing on the album is good as well, which further restores my faith in AFM.... Overall, this is a fun, warm-sounding, approachable, throwback-type album, but it definitely has some issues. 

My Rating: 6.5 out of 10


Highlights:
  • Really fun throwback sound
  • Overall warm and approachable sound to the album
  • Good mixing
Lowlights:
  • Vocal style is pretty annoying at certain points in the album. Also, the vocal style never really changes. 
  • Occasionally very repetitive lyrics
  • Fairly boring/lame lyrics which I guess kind of adds to the approachable style of the album, but definitely gets old over fifty minutes...
  • Lack of songwriting diversity
Favorite Songs:
  • Snakes and Ladders
  • The Seeds
  • The End of Days
More Info:

Shakra Official

Shakra Facebook

Shakra Twitter

Shakra Encyclopaedia Metallum 

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this review are solely those of the author of this article and serve only to convey his opinion of the album in question, not to harm the band. 

Comments

  1. A.J. SpaudeNovember 28, 2017 at 11:23 AM

    Follow me on Facebook and Twitter @BPMetalReviews to stay updated on the latest reviews!

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