Recommendations: Smile by Skindred (Patreon)

Sometimes, a lead single can be the weakest on an album, and that's why I didn't originally look forward to Skindred's (the Welsh Heavy Metal Reggae group making bangers for thirty years) latest effort.

Gimme That Boom's a pretty average nu-metal throwback...

The opening track before it Our Religion might be my favorite Skindred track period.

And Smile is probably the band's best album in its multi-decade career, with great production, infectious rifts, and a surprising amount of variety that really takes full advantage of the band's eclectic mix of genres.

Most importantly, it's just really fun!