Formed is 1994 in San Francisco, California by Singer/bassist Steev Esquive… Read Full Bio ↴Formed is 1994 in San Francisco, California by Singer/bassist Steev Esquivel, former guitarist Mike Roberts and drummer Paul Hopkins, Skinlab quickly began making a name for itself in the Bay Area music scene. This brought attention from Machine Head's Robb Flynn, who would go on to help the band secure it's first record deal and their first sold out European tour. Their appearance at the 1997 Dynamo Open Air launched the band into a fury of tours both European and State Side, in support of the debut album Bound Gagged and Blindfolded(Recorded by legendary metal producer Andy Sneap).

With the departure of Roberts in 1998, the band quickly recruited guitarists Scott Seargant (Killing Culture) and Snake (Skrew)and went into writting mode. These sessions led to the Eyesore E.P which introduced the new line up (Available as a limited edition release of only 5000 copies which to this day remains a cult classic with fans worldwide). In 1999 the band entered El Paso's Village studio, again with producer Andy Sneap, to record Disembody: The New Flesh. The album went on to become an underground favorite for die hard metal fans around the globe. 18 months of touring would follow, with the band sharing the stage with the likes of Exodus, S.O.D, Fear Factory, the Deftones, Coal Chamber, Deicide, Entombed, and Napalm Death. 1999 would also see the band making another appearance on the main stage of the Dynamo Open Air Festival.

In 2003, Skinlab parted with guitarist Scott Seargant, and introduced Glen Telford to the line up. With Telford onboard, the band recorded The Revolting Room, which to some, was the highlight of the bands recording collection. Revolting Room saw the band move in more of a heavy/melodic direction, both in terms of song writing and production. This time the band worked with Producer Steve Evetts (Hatebreed,Glasjaw), bringing in Andy Sneap to round out the ulitmate mix of metal fans have learned to love.

The Revolting Room touring cycle saw the band share the stage with such acts as Hatebreed, Superjoint Ritual, Arch Enemy, Soil, and In Flames. They would hit stages from London to El Paso, making friends and new fans by the thousands. After a successful run of dates on the JagerMusic/Slayer Tour, the band decided to take a break and explore other musical adventures.

After a 4 year hiatus Skinlab, returned to the road with the "The Face Of Aggression" tour. This tour saw the band bring back it's furious stage presence and 'in for the kill attitude', culminating with a June 3rd 2007 performance at The Oakland Metro. This intense performance was captured for a future DVD and live album release.(04/29/2008 Skinlab return with the release of "SkinnedAlive!" through BCD Music Group).

The band is hard at work, writing the next full length album "The Scars Between Us", which will be released on September 15th, 2009.

Discography:

* Bound, Gagged and Blindfolded (1997)
* Eyesore EP (1998)
* Disembody: The New Flesh (1999)
* Revolting Room (2002)
* Nerve Damage (2004)
* The Scars Between Us (2009)

Excellerate
Skinlab Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Would you like to see my flesh in pain?
Cross the line, stain my arms in flames
Would you like to try and take the pain?
Self indulgency

Crossing the line
Excellerate
Building your tolerance

And bearing all the extremes

Excellerate...

I take all the tic and the needle within, the addict within...

Would you like to see my flesh in pain?
Cross the line, stain my arms in flames
Would you like to try and take the pain?
Self indulgency

Crossing the line
The threshold of pain
Building your tolerance
and bearing all the extremes

Excellerate...

I take all the tic and the needle within, the addict within...

Would you like to cross my flesh in pain?
Cross the line to excellerate
Would you like to try and take the pain?
Cross the line to excellerate

Crossing the line
My threshold of pain

Building your tolerance
And bearing all the extremes

Overall Meaning

The Skinlab song "Excellerate" is a track that explores the concept of pain and tolerance. The lyrics are intense and visceral, posing the questions "Would you like to see my flesh in pain? Would you like to try and take the pain?" The themes of self-harm and addiction are present in the lines "Stain my arms in flames...I take all the tic and the needle within, the addict within." The singer is willingly crossing a threshold of pain to build their tolerance, showing a degree of self-indulgence that borders on self-destructive.

The chorus of the song repeats the word "Excellerate," likely a play on the word "accelerate." The concept seems to be that by crossing these boundaries and pushing oneself to new extremes, one is progressing in some way. However, this comes at a cost - the physical and emotional pain experienced on this journey of self-discovery.

Overall, "Excellerate" is a powerful song that delves into the complicated relationship between pain, addiction, and self-improvement. The lyrics are graphic and not for the faint of heart, but they provide a compelling and thought-provoking commentary on these difficult topics.

Line by Line Meaning

Would you like to see my flesh in pain?
Do you want to witness my agony and torment?

Cross the line, stain my arms in flames
Push the boundaries, let the fire scorch my limbs

Would you like to try and take the pain?
Do you dare to test your own pain threshold?

Self indulgency
Gratifying one's own desires and impulses

Crossing the line
Breaking through the limit

Excellerate
Accelerating the pace of progress

Building your tolerance
Increasing your ability to withstand pain

And bearing all the extremes
Enduring the highest levels of discomfort

I take all the tic and the needle within, the addict within...
I embrace my addiction and my compulsions

Would you like to cross my flesh in pain?
Do you want to cause me physical distress?

Cross the line to excellerate
Push the limits to make progress