Back in 2015, HORIZONS got in touch with me to cover a live show in the Redhouse, Merthyr Tydfil, covering a variety of up-and-coming Welsh artists, including THE PEOPLE THE POET, HOUDINI DAX and GABRIELLE MURPHY (Check out my review here). That's what Horizons do, and do damn well if I'm honest; they champion blossoming undiscovered Welsh talents, and together with the BBC and special showcase promotions, they've continued to do over the past couple of years. If ever there's been a more fitting name for a project it would be Horizons, as just like the Sun rising on a new day, so too do fresh-faced artists get the opportunity to shine.

​2018 Saw Horizons take a new batch of bands and artists under their wing, and along with BBC Wales, together they worked on something special, and it involved the iconic ROCKFIELD STUDIOS. The studio, situated in Monmouthshire, was founded in the early 1960's and became the worlds first residential recording studio, but that's not all it's historic for. It didn't take long for Rockfield to start churning out the hits, and I don't mean that lightly. Rockfield has produced a number of incredible albums cementing many a bands legacy, from the MANIC STREET PREACHERS and OASIS in the 90's...going all the way back to QUEEN and "Bohemian Rhapsody" in the 70's...even HIM shaped their gothic-rock masterpiece "Razorblade Romance" in this brilliant little Welsh beauty!

Starting this week on BBC Two, you can see for yourself first hand who Horizons have been working with, courtesy of two mini-documentaries highlighting a select batch of artists, who are not only going to be getting the chance to perform original tracks right there in Monmouth, but will also cover some of the legendary artists who have previously recorded at the Welsh studio. Covering a variety of styles and genres, you'll hear the reggae-inspired tones of ALEIGHCIA SCOTT...the quirky indie-pop funk of Welsh speaking three-piece ADWAITH and the harder hitting swagger-ridden rock 'n' roll of HIMALAYAS. With the first show airing at 10:00pm on Tuesday, January 15th, followed by the second on January 22nd. Both shows (Running time 29 minutes) will be available on the BBC iPlayer for repeated viewing following their aired time on TV. Do check them both out, and check out some of the freshest Welsh music out there today.

On paper, a musical blend of metal, reggae, rock and dub sounds mouth-watering. The creative possibilities at disposal are that much broader than your average rock band, so, Newport’s SKINDRED really should of taken full advantage of this and established themselves as one of the biggest bands of their generation. Then, why aren’t they? Albums, that’s why. Since the first album “Babylon” (which was released not once, but THREE times), Skindred have never REALLY delivered in the studio, gaining more critical acclaim from their live shows instead. 2014 sees them try to change all of this with the brand new 5th album; “Kill The Power”

The opening title track has a slight HOUSE OF PAIN - “Jump Around” sound to it, before the nu-metal style riffs kick in. It shifts between reggae-hop and heaviness every so often not really allowing the track to take-off, however it’s not a bad start. “Ruling Force” follows up with more focus on guitars this time round, building up to what potentially seems like a huge sounding rock track, but it quickly switches to a PRODIGY style electronic piece. Everything swaps so freely from verse to chorus, multiple genre shifts make it an interesting listen but, it lacks fluidity as a song.

“Playing With The Devil” begins with this really mellow, ambient reggae feel, some brief interludes of dub-step fueling the songs chorus but it’s generally one of the albums more laid back numbers. “Worlds On Fire” has a similar approach, just more up-beat and the dub-step has been replaced by guitars and a rockier vibe, it’s grittier and one of the albums better tracks. “The Kids Are Right Now” is another highlight, a quality melodic rock track, nothing over complicated here, while “Open Eyed” features some fresh sounding guest vocals from the multi-talented JENNA G, before “Saturday” then throws in some American punk-pop influences to the already eclectic mix.

Essentially, Benji Webbe and co have again, written and recorded a decent album, but still haven’t managed to capture the spark they have on the live stage. It goes to show really that Skindred are, for all intents and purposes, a real band. Playing to a live crowd with no safety net, no 2nd takes or restarts is where these guys excel, and that’s rock ‘n’ roll. It’s raw and it’s real. Buy yourself a copy of “Kill The Power”, learn the words, then book a ticket for their next tour. THAT is where you’re going to fully appreciate what Skindred are all about. [6.5]

Download: “The Kids Are Right Now”, "Open Eyed"
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/kill-the-power/id689237260
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skindredofficial