*GUEST REVIEW*
First thing's first -- Skindred is not a reggae band, despite their red, gold n' green-sporting dreadlocked singer Benji Webbe and the constant references to Babylon and other Rasta symbolism throughout the record. The best way to describe Skindred's sound would be as a dancehall/hardcore punk combination. Webbe toasts, chats, wails, and screams his way through the 14 songs and three straight-up dancehall interludes on Babylon, while his three-piece band thrashes through high-speed, distortion-filled punk and metal. It's an interesting combination, especially when you realize the Welsh(?!?)-born Webbe can hold his own 'pon the mic, probably due to his experience in a number of reggae groups in Great Britain. Tracks like "Bruises" and "Set It Off" are almost like dancehall songs with heavy metal choruses. It's a formula that works well, although Babylon is slightly too long to hold the listener's attention. There's only so much "we are the greatest" boasting ("Skindred we inna yu area. / Bring de ruckus, you know we superior.") you can take over 50 minutes, but as far as genre-bending experiments are concerned, Skindred is a success, and their incredibly aggressive (yet still "one love"-oriented) live show has to be seen to be believed. This is Bob Marley's "Punky Reggae Party" for the 21st Century.

- Sam Thompson