"If you can't fuck or fight to it, it's no good," proclaims Skrape drummer and band co-founder Will Hunt.
"That's the context for us. It's gotta have rhythm and an incredible groove you can shake your ass to." Up the Dose has all that and more. The band's second album for RCA finds the Orlando-based quintet in a different musical head space from when they released 2001's brutal yet melodic New Killer America--which pummeled active rock radio in the States with the singles "Waste" and "Isolated"-- and rose quickly to become the twelfth best-selling album in Japan. A festival in Japan, a gig in Korea with that country's most famous band, Seo Taiji, and a U.S. tour with Disturbed found Skrape playing for thousands of fanatical converts. Skrape songs also found their way into video games, including Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4 and their album cover even won awards. Skrape also created their own video for "What You Say," performance intercut with Japanamation, subsequent to the clip for first single "Waste." Clearly a motivated bunch of musicians, Skrape also take life lessons to heart, as gleaned in the sentiments expressed on Up The Dose.
“Over the last few years there were a lot of highlights…and some lowlights," explains Hunt. "And it all has to do with where we are at right now, which is a great place." A 2001 tour with the Pantera, Slayer and Morbid Angel "gave us a lot of thick skin," Hunt says of the intense, aggro crowds they faced nightly. "We were like, 'if you don't like us, well good, here's another one!’" he laughs of Skrape's uncompromising performances and 'tude. Adds Keeton, “My experiences on tour with Phil Anselmo were life-changing to me as a musician, as a frontman and as a songwriter.”
The Pantera tour also weeded out any weak links in the band. So it was with a new guitarist (Randy Melser replacing axeman Mike Lynchard), a new management company and a renewed spirit that Skrape wrote and then recorded their sophomore effort with producer Jimbo Barton (Queensryche, Godsmack) in Miami, Los Angeles and Orlando. "We wanted old school,” said Hunt. “We are big fans of how Jimbo's records sounded; sonically, they hold up." Barton also developed a strong bond with Keeton during the recording process. “He was able to bring my vocal performance up to another level entirely. He and I just clicked. Jimbo created a atmosphere that allowed me to explode vocally.”
After Skrape's demise, Keeton formed a band called Blessed In Black with former Nothingface/current Hellyeah guitarist Tom Maxwell. The band didn't last and broke up within a year.
Origin Orlando, Florida, U.S
Year active 1995
2004
Isolated
Skrape Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I walk right through
A no where man
Learned from you
You get the one that you wished for you laugh to cry
I guess the one that you wished for has made you cry
I told you, some way
So quick to, rename
My grip is good
I fall to stand
A smile that could
Screams out a plan
You get the one that you wished for you laugh to cry
I guess the one that you wished for has made you cry
I told you, someway
So quick to, rename
Your weary, no soul
So quick to, rename
I told you, some way
So quick to, rename
Isotated
Isolated
The Skrape song "Isolated" describes the feeling of being free from pain and moving through life as if there were no obstacles to stand in your way. The singer, who seems to be speaking to someone directly, has learned from their mistakes, and they have learned to walk through life with ease, almost as if they have become a "nowhere man." The first stanza talks about laughing and crying, highlighting the unpredictable nature of life. In this way, the lyrics underscore how the things we think we want can turn out to be the exact things we end up crying over.
In the second stanza, the singer talks about their strength and resilience, how they fall only to stand back up and overcome. This resilience is exemplified by the smile that "screams out a plan," suggesting a sense of purpose that the singer holds within them. Once again, the lyrics touch upon the idea that life can be unpredictable, as the chorus repeats the idea that things don't always go as planned. In this way, the song describes what it's like to be living life as an isolated individual – someone who feels free from the chaos and pain of the world around them, but who also recognizes that triumphs don't come without tears.
Line by Line Meaning
I feel no pain
I am numb to any emotional or physical pain.
I walk right through
I easily bypass any obstacles or challenges in my path.
A no where man
I feel lost and invisible to the world.
Learned from you
I gained knowledge and insight from a past experience or person.
You get the one that you wished for you laugh to cry
You may get what you want in life, but it may bring you more pain than joy.
I guess the one that you wished for has made you cry
You may have gotten what you wanted, but it didn't bring you happiness.
I told you, some way
I warned you or gave you advice in some form or another.
So quick to, rename
You change or alter things quickly, whether it's your identity or something else.
Isolated
Being alone and disconnected from others.
My grip is good
I have a strong hold on something, whether it be a physical object or a situation.
I fall to stand
I may fail or falter, but I always get back up and keep going.
A smile that could
A smile that is hiding something or concealing true emotions.
Screams out a plan
My true intentions are being revealed, despite my outward appearance.
Your weary, no soul
You are tired and drained, lacking any passion or drive.
Isotated
Being alone and separated from the rest of the world.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRIAN C. MILNER, MICHAEL W. LYNCHARD, PETER SISON, WILLIAM L. KEETON, WILLIAM M. HUNT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@amaizenblue44
One of the most under-appreciated albums ever. Every song kicks ass. Reminds me of Gravity Kills-Perversion, in that regard.
@amaizenblue44
@Daniel B Cheers man. I haven't listened to this album or the Gravity Kills one for quite a while. Thanks. Reminded me of Drain STH , also.
@byescarlet4399
I remember seeing this album at Best Buy when it released. The cover looked interesting so I bought it. Best decision I made. Been a fan ever since 2001.
@JF-tt6wy
+Bye Scarlet I first heard about them at a music festival back in 2001. That was a great show.
@RNMguitar
+Bye Scarlet Listen to Audiotopsy, a new band with the Skrape's singer on it ;)
@JF-tt6wy
+RNMguitar I just did. They're pretty damn good.
@twiggyb4250
Bye Scarlet I remember seeing the video for Waste on MTV around 2am and got the cd the day it came out at Best Buy for $10! Never leaves my cd changer to this day! Kudos!
@downandout73
Saw them open for Pantera & Slayer, above Morbid Angel on the slate (that was wrong)...but they were ok for the type of Nü Metal they did (Static X was also there...).
@nerinine
Great guitar riff. I love the drums and the voice too.
@FractalRaver
A song from my early teen years....memories. I forgot just how good it was