KEY POINTS:
Herald rating: * * * *
Dub step is a relatively new thing and British lad Skream is its young king. When new musical genres like this are created they're often fly-by-nighters, especially anywhere outside Britain. Styles like grime, two-step, and UK garage made only a small impact around the world. Skream, on the other hand, signals something revolutionary.
His debut steals from the past - taking the rib-rattling bass of dub, the skanking and salutations of reggae, the experimentalism of underground hip-hop, the soulfulness of clubland, and much more - to create something new and enduring. It is similar to hearing DJ Shadow's pioneering album Endtroducing ... in the mid-90s.
It starts menacingly, with sinister strings, bongos and what sounds like a skill saw sample, on Tortured Soul, then as it unravels, Skream gets under your skin and pushes those goosebumps out individually.
The usually flighty flute is stealth on Rutten, vocal contributions from Warrior Queen and JME, and the merry beats of eight-minute closer, Summer Dreams, varies things nicely.
Beware if it's too loud, Skream delivers brain-jarring and cartilage-crushing frequencies but then, cerebral bruising never felt so good. Time will tell whether it's a classic or not, but Skream's debut is a must-have this year.
Label: Tempa/Samurai Distribution
Verdict: Time will tell if young British dub-step dude has created a classic
