Sorcerers' debut puts a fresh twist on skate rock
By Jenny Charlesworth
Sorcerers
S/T (Skull Skate Records)
If you’re familiar with famed Vancouver skatepark, Leeside, and know that a McTwist isn’t something you order with fries from a drive-thru, chances are you’re going to go nuts for the Sorcerers’ debut. Released by Skull Skates—the record label recently launched by the local skate company of the same name—the mighty disc follows in the footsteps of genre-splicing pioneers Bad Brains, which is quite an achievement for four white dudes from East Vancouver.
Throwing down fierce hardcore jams against laidback dub-y grooves, the self-titled effort is as intriguing as it is enjoyable. Never quite sure which direction newcomer Johnny Paulsen will take the vocals with his sporadic yelps and ultra unique delivery, tracks like the hazy, effect-laden “P.Y.T.” and the menacing punk thrasher that is “Laughing Lions” will keep you on your toes. Full of killer bass lines, ample studio wizardry, and of course fist-pumping beats, the Sorcerers’ first kick at the can is an impressive feat—one boasting far more thought and effort than a lot of the stale material you often hear from bands lumped into the skate rock genre.
