Countdown to Warped - Skip the Foreplay

             

              With an almost unusual dose of inspiration from genres as diverse and unlikely as dubstep, hiphop and thrash, metalcore outfit Skip the Foreplay stand out as a phenomenally unique experience. Hailing from my favorite place of all, Montreal, the band brings the city’s penchant for unrestrained musical insanity that bands like Blind Witness and Despised Icon previously displayed so brilliantly. With only a single album to their name, April’s Nightlife, STF are one of the youngest bands on Warped Tour this year, and they’re out to make a name for themselves. STF pack an audible punch that never lets up and never gets boring, even if they do become slightly chuggy after a bit. Nevertheless, it’s evident everywhere that in no way are they trying to be serious, and the complete absence of pretentiousness turns them into a fun experience that surprises just as much as it delivers.

                As with most Warped regulars, STF’s staple is their pulse-pounding drumwork and distorted, palm-muted riffs. Riffs are utterly and completely simplistic, but nevertheless STF has an undeniable a kind of charm in their sound. Breakdowns will abound, and the rhythms alternate between rapid punches of double-kicked bass, and a simpler feel for the bridges and choruses. However, the most defining aspect of STF’s sound remains the fact that it’s almost always constantly changing. Every aspect of the band can change at the drop of a hat – screams can become clean,  a synth can kick in, or STF can start playing a guitar solo.

                Invaraibly, Nightlife keeps you on your toes. While it’s never so drastic that it’s arresting, you’ll invariably find yourself doing a double take at the sudden clean breaks in ‘Dom Perignon’, or the randomly appearing synthwork in ‘DTK’, which, in some cases, will replace both the drums and the guitars, and in others serve to support them. Cameos by other Montreal stars on ‘This City (We’re Taking Over)’ from the aforementioned Blind Witness and Despised Icon give the song a different feel, and ultimately make it the record’s most unique and fun song.   Even short (1:06) break ‘Dinner with Snooki’ is strange in its variety, with a trance-like beat leading into a sudden bass drop. The whole thing could be played at a club and no one would notice…and then followup song ‘Shots’ kicks the intensity back up with a distorted riff.

                If their names and song titles aren’t obvious, Skip the Foreplay set themselves apart lyrically by avoiding common metalcore lyrical tropes. Hackneyed topics like unrequited love, frustration at society, and apathy are eschewed in favor something far more simple – partying. There’s a strange predilection towards alcohol which, as someone who lived in Montreal, really isn’t surprising, but nevertheless makes things (laughably) different.

                Unfortunately, though, the novelty wears off quickly. By the middle of the record, the silliness of the band starts to run dry, and the occasional sample or voiceover putshes Skip the Foreplay into the realm of almost ridiculous. While I had no problems with this, I feel like other people wouldn’t be as happy about it. That, combined with a dark lyrical turn with the song ‘Date Rape Predator’, starts to kill the fun the band was obviously having at the start of the album. The band might know this, because they finish the record with a cover of LMFAO’s ‘Champagne Showers’. I’ll admit, it’s actually pretty good.

                It’s nevertheless commendable, however, that Skip the Foreplay’s only potential fault lies in their over-the-top delivery. They manage to completely avoid repetition – a trap many debuting bands fall into and never escape. Despite this, they will still face mockery and rejection from the community simply because they've deviated so much from the norm - people liked hearing lyrics about the same old stuff again and again, which is why it kept happening. With Skip the Foreplay bringing new material, they'll invariably face a barrage of criticism and hate. While I'm sure the band can rise above it, they also have to be careful. At their core, Skip the Foreplay rely on the humor of their music, and this can run dry very quickly, potentially even faster than chuggy repetition. As it stands, Skip the Foreplay walk a thin line. They’re going to need a near-complete rehaul in their next record, or else their ridiculousness will push them over the edge and no one will take them seriously. Nightlife is a solid album if you’re willing to sit back and laugh at it occasionally, and seeing these guys on Warped Tour is going to be an interesting experience, if anything.
                   Listen to 'This City (We're Taking Over)' here: