While Southern California punk and ska-inspired bands such as the Offspring and No Doubt rose to the top of the pop parade over the years, scene-mates the Voodoo Glow Skulls stayed behind. They continue to anchor the underground scene, perhaps destined to join the ranks of great bands such as the Dickies and the Angry Samoans, who never really left the den. Vocalist and central member Frank Casillas has a deep, aggressive tone, and he spits out words in a staccato, no-holds-barred style, ready for confrontation. Brother Eddie (who wrote, produced and engineered this release) assaults his guitar as if on a caffeine overdose, and his riffs run the gamut from metal to classic punk. If you’re a fan, you won’t be disappointed; the Skulls still kick it, loud and clear. If you’re new, but harbor an affection for old school punk-ska (with plenty of horns and a West Coast, Latino finish), try this out. The band allows humor and their own human-ness to come through, giving the listener a sense of fun and familia. And who knows, maybe “The Ballad of Froggy McNasty” will be the track that gets the band their share of MTV time: it’s a brassy, old-style skank-fest peppered with punchy, see-saw guitars you just can’t sit still to.