VIKING SKULL – Born In Hell

Possibly one of the coolest acts to have come out of Britain for quite some years is the Corby-based band, Viking Skull. When Raging Speedhorn took a well-earned break, assorted members of the band and their crew decided they had to do something to continue getting free beer. Roddy Stone, Raging Speedhorn’s guitar tech, suggested they should form a local band and play the local clubs. “All we need to do,” he said, “is get in, get fucked, and get out.”

Viking Skull sound like what they are – a Rock ‘n’ Roll band motivated by free alcohol. The Bluesy riffs are easy, there are not hundreds of incredibly fast and complex solos – still they encourage air guitar play as much as anything else. The lyrics are catchy and pretty simple. It’s the recipe for success used by some other bands whom you might’ve heard of as well, such as AC/DC.

If you’re into Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and AC/DC, just imagine what would happen if you mixed them all together – that’s what you get with Viking Skull! It’s close to impossible to have any one favorite song from this album, as it is just amazingly tight and enjoyable.

The album kicks off with its title track, “Born in Hell,” a short and high tempo song. Viking Skull then continues to deliver Rock and Roll pearls like “Crank the Volume,” “Red Hot Woman,” “Beers, Drugs and Bitches,” “Rock and Roll Suicide,” and “You Can’t Kill Rock and Roll.” What is amazing about these songs is that they appeal even to those who don’t even like Rock and Roll or Metal music.

So far, Viking Skull have toured a lot in the UK, beginning with the local clubs in the Northamptonshire area. One night, when supporting Dukes of Nothing, the gig was cancelled in the middle of Viking Skull’s set because the floor collapsed under the feet of the furiously manic mosh pit! In October 2002, Viking Skull took on a full UK tour as support for Raging Skullhorn (meaning Gordon and Darren got double workload), and have since appeared as support for Rock icons like Alice Cooper, HIM, and DIO. Viking Skull continues to tour extensively in the UK and Europe (including Scandinavia.)

Born In Hell is well-worth checking out, once you put it in your CD player you’ll want to open a beer and get that air guitar out. Remember to check out the band’s Web site to discover when they’ll be playing near you for an unforgettable concert experience. This is Rock and Roll!

Lineup

• Roddy Stone (vocals/guitar)
• Darren Smith (guitar)
• Waldie (bass)
• Gordon Morisson (drums)