Skull Kontrol features vocalist Chris Thomson and guitarist Andy Coronado, both of the brilliant
Monorchid.
Skull Kontrol's debut EP isn't far from
Monorchid's brand of angular punk rock: Thomson's snotty voice and oblique, urgent lyrics again lead the way and the songs fly by as quickly as those on either
Monorchid album. But overall,
Deviate Beyond All Means of Capture is simpler and more reckless than Thomson and Coronado's previous project. There's only one guitar, so the criss-crossing two-guitar patterns are gone, replaced by chunky, minimal chord progressions and simple single-note lines. Thomson's more melodic singing and the band's loose rhythms give the EP a more blues-inflected feel, and bassist Kim Thompson's intentionally sloppy backing vocals give the impression that
Skull Kontrol isn't trying to be the well-oiled machine that
Monorchid were. Still,
Skull Kontrol packs an impressive sneer, and those looking for lean, bluesy punk rock could do much worse than
Deviate Beyond All Means of Capture. ~ Charlie Wilmoth