Singles Roundup: The Offspring, Smith/Kotzen, Doll Skin, Sion, & Skarlett Riot

 Let's see what's in the grab bag of one-offs and previews today.

The Offspring – Let The Bad Times Roll

Gearing up for their first album in over eight years, The Offspring have given us a song that points to their long and continued decline. Ever since "Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)" became a hit, they have made novelty songs their lead singles, and that seems to be carrying on here. The song doesn't hold together, and the ideas themselves aren't that great either. I think most fans just want a classic sounding album, but that's not what it seems we're going to get. I can't say this has me excited.

Smith/Kotzen – Scars/Running

Singles two and three for the upcoming album showcase different sides of their bluesy rock exploration. "Scars" is more of a slow ballad, while "Running" has more almost stoner fuzz to the guitars, but both songs grew the more I listened to them. Neither matches "Taking My Chances", but they do continue to point to this album being one of the unforeseen highlights of the first quarter of 2021. It seems putting someone else with Richie Kotzen is the key to keeping him from wandering off into less than thrilling territory.

Doll Skin – Control Freak

Now a two-piece, Doll Skin return off a really good album with a new single that is both heavy and catchy. There's still a precociousness to their delivery that makes the message a bit subversive, which is the sort of twist I have always enjoyed. They not only avoid the appearance of lecturing, they make it so many people won't even hear their intention the first time around. For an outspoken band, that's a clever way of not pushing away the less tolerant.

Sion – The Blade

Howard Jones sounds as good as ever. His era of Killswitch Engage is the only one that really matters to me, and the album he made with Light The Torch a few years ago was phenomenal. For this song, he teams up with a YouTube guitar personality, and by going back to the old Killswitch formula, but with some modern and heavier twists, it's like hearing from an old friend again. His screams might be a little more assisted now, but he has a way of writing dramatic melodic choruses, and this is another great one. I'm looking forward to more of this.

Skarlett Riot – Gravity/Stronger

Two new singles for their upcoming record tell two sides to the same story. One side is that Skarlett Riot is a damn solid rock/metal band. They write good songs, played and sung well, and are a credit to the more modern sounds. The other side is that they need a bit more 'oomph' to what they're doing. They're heavy and melodic, but something about the writing and production is a bit flat, and the hooks don't stand out in my memory too long after hearing them. They aren't far off being great, but these songs just feel like they're missing the last ingredient.