New Music Review : Snakecharmer - Second Skin : CD Album Music Review : Dangerdog Music Reviews

October 2024

Casandra's Crossing: Garden Of Earthly Delights
DGM: Endless
Daytona: Garder la Flamme
Fate: Reconnect 'N Ignite
Frost*: Life In The Wires
Aries Descendant: From The Ashes Of Deceit
Fans Of The Dark: Video
Radioactive: Reset
House Of Lords: Full Tilt Overdrive
Cleanbreak: We Are The Fire

September 2024

Sinner's Blood: Dark Horizons
Serious Black: Rise Of Akhenaton
Eclipse: Megalomanium II
SteelCity: Reverence
Hydra: ReHydrated
Heartwind: III
Gabrielle De Val and the Dragonlords: Tiger
Find Me: Nightbound
The Nail: The Nail
Timeless Fairytale: A Story To Tell
Stryper: When We Were Kings
Phil Mogg: Moggs Motel
Pure Reason Revolution: Coming Up To Consciousness
Jordan Rudess: Permission To Fly

August 2024

Siege Perilous: Creation's Call EP
Paralydium: Universe Calls
Mike Tramp: Songs Of White Lion Vol. II
Bite The Bullet: Looking For Paradise
All For Metal: Gods Of Metal (Year Of The Dragon)
Hammerfall: Avenge The Fallen
Jim Peterik & World Stage: Roots & Shoots Vol. 2

July 2024

Ironflame: Kingdom Torn Asunder
Spektra: Hypnotized
(Michael) Palace: Reckless Heart
Mr. Big: Ten
Dark Mile: Dark Mile

June 2024

Kaipa: Sommargryningsljus
Sunbomb: Light Up The Sky
Seven Spires: A Fortress Called Home
Atlantic: Another World
Xeneris: Eternal Rising
New Horizon: Conquerors
Issa: Another World

[ More Music Reviews ]

Snakecharmer: Second Skin

Melodic Hard Rock

4.5/5.0

Website Facebook
Frontiers Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 03.05.2017

Some four years on from their debut album, one that displayed both promise and potential, Snakecharmer returns with appropriately titled second album, Second Skin. But it also comes with a change. Founding member and lead guitarist Micky Moody left the band last year, being replaced by Irish guitarist Simon McBride. The renowned Guitarist magazine has called McBride "among the best blues-rock players anywhere in the world." The remaining members are Laurie Wisefield (Wishbone Ash), Harry James (Thunder, Magnum), Adam Wakeman (Ozzy Osbourne), and Chris Ousey (Heartland).

Snakecharmer

There's a signature musical theme in Snakecharmer sound that you instantly hear and recognize in Second Skin. That theme is the obvious blues infusion that swells in most every song. It comes largely from Ousey's vocal style, which is soulful and smooth and, of course, from McBride's guitar lines. Actually it's in several of the quieter ballads where this pairing of voice and guitar bring out the significant blues motif. Notable are I'll Take You As You Are, Fade Away, and Forgive & Forget But it's also found in Where Do We Go From Here, with it's smoldering smooth start that leads to a rising crescendo. Also adding to the bluesy hard rock feeling is well-placed old school swirling Hammond organ found in many songs. It gives the Snakecharmer an earthy warm sound, something akin to Seventies blues hard rock.

A few more songs, besides the ones above, should be mentioned in closing. One is Hell Of A Way To Live which moves by the substantial groove that starts with the drums and continues with the bass joining in. Another notable song is That Kind Of Love which has a sweet AOR groove and a darn catchy hook in the chorus. The same could be said for Sounds Like A Plan, but what sells this song, besides groove, guitar, and chorus, is what surely sounds like a brass section in the arrangement. Either that or it's Wakeman simulating the sound. It sounds very cool.

Suffice to say, Snakecharmer's Second Skin is fine second effort for the band, some very entertaining blues-infused melodic hard rock. Easily recommended.

CraigHartranft.net - New fiction, crime fiction by Craig Hartranft

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.