Skinflint is one of the most intriguing bands to come across my radar in recent years. Hailing all the way from Botswana, Africa, their amalgamation of pure old school metal with African folklore is nothing short of unique. It’s even more unique when you consider their music can’t be categorized into one specific subgenre. There’s traditional metal influences, but by no means are they part of the so called NWOTHM. There’s a raw, unorthodox, epic metal feel, but they aren’t epic metal. They thrash hard, but they aren’t a straightforward thrash band. Their brand of metal boasts the adventurous ambiguity of the glorious 80s. This past weekend, I experienced its brute force live.
Smack dab in the middle of a bill that featured the Max Cavalera fronted Soulfly and slamming death metallers Bodybox ahead of them, and local support Embryonic Autopsy and Ruptura underneath, Skinflint made themselves right at home at the Forge in Joliet, Illinois. In fact, it was just a little over 3 years and a global pandemic ago that the band last took the Forge stage. Despite the time that had passed, the Joliet crowd welcomed Skinflint with open arms and an open mosh pit. “Do you want to hear something soft or heavy?!”, frontman and guitarist Giuseppe “Juice” Sbrana screamed to the crowd. The crowd of a few hundred maniacs collectively screamed back, “HEAVY!”
Indeed, Skinflint brought the heavy. Onstage, their already exciting brand of metal took on a new dimension of extremity. Sbrana’s hellish Cronos-esque vocals, coupled with an arsenal of devastating Sabbathian riffs, lead the charge. Be warned; this man has the “Hand of Doom”. Bassist Kebonye “Raskebo” Nkoloso unleashed thunder and chaos with his gut-wrenching bass attack. Rounding it all out was drummer Cosmos “Cossy” Modisaemang, whose drumming marries the force of John Bonham with the speed of Gene Hoglan. Together, they put the “power” in power trio! Here’s to hoping this exclusive set of photos captures a mere fraction of said power.
