The ferociously efficient and ever so cool punk rock quartet known as Sklitakling stopped by the Apollon Platebar early Thursday evening (November 6) to perform a short and concise show in the warm and appealing (not to mention intimate) setting of the aforementioned record store and bar, and this gig turned out to be just what yours truly needed following a long and arduous day at work.
While essentially a release party of sorts in the sense that their latest album titled Normal Drift came out in late October via Back to Beat Records, the skilled ensemble tore through the entire LP from beginning to end in exactly half an hour, and at no point in time did the gig lose momentum or run out of steam. The infectious energy, the raw and undiluted spirit of old-school punk rock, the maniacal pop-esque hooks, the ridiculously catchy riffs, and the thick, pulverising sound that emanated from the tiny stage all come together splendidly and made for a memorable event. The banter between the songs displayed a sense of sheer joy and enthusiasm stemming from having a kick-ass new record out and churning out the songs live in front of an appreciative audience. Speaking of which, the turnout was great, and the bar felt pretty jam-packed during the half-hour set, which was nice to see and very much deserved considering Sklitakling’s penchant for putting on a vibrant and animated show.
Simply put, they deserved an attentive audience, and people were undoubtedly into the sharp, charmingly vicious, and infectious tunes sung in Norwegian that blared out of the speakers. Highlights included ‘Fallgruver,’ ‘Skamløs,’ and ‘Innestengt,’ but what you really ought to do is to check their latest offering out, namely the aforementioned Normal Drift, which is widely available on various streaming services.
