SKINLAB Releases Cover of HATEBREED's 'Last Breath'

San Francisco Bay Area groove metal veterans SKINLAB have released a cover of "Last Breath" — the iconic track from HATEBREED's landmark 1997 album "Satisfaction Is The Death Of Desire". Produced, mixed, and mastered by Ulrich Wild (PANTERA, STATIC-X, WHITE ZOMBIE, DEFTONES),the cover is not a replication — it is a full reimagining, dragged deep into SKINLAB's groove metal world and built to hit hard. It marks SKINLAB's recorded debut of the band's newest member, guitarist Angelo Miles.

"Last Breath" is one of those metal anthems that hits you in the chest every time," says SKINLAB vocalist/bassist Steev Esquivel.

"We've been HATEBREED fans from day one. Our boy Brett Makowski — Buzzard — turned us on to them on our first tour. We were instantly blown away by the pure aggression and energy. 'Satisfaction Is The Death Of Desire' is one of the heaviest albums to this day. I've been wanting to do 'Last Breath' for years."

In Wild's hands, SKINLAB's version of "Last Breath", which was made available via Wild's WURMgroup imprint, becomes something new without losing its soul.

"It's always a challenge to do a cover song justice," Wild explains. "You have to stay true to the original yet adapt it to your own style. It's easy to simply play the song — any cover band does that. You have to catch the vibe, but allow yourself the freedom to experiment within the boundaries of the composition. With 'Last Breath' we're taking a very raw hardcore track and pushing it into the groove metal world for which SKINLAB is known. Along with that come multi-layered vocal tracks — Steev's signature sound — and new dimensions with additional guitars and a solo."

HATEBREED's Wayne Lozinak said about SKINLAB's version of "Last Breath": "Loving this cover of 'Last Breath'! Some different sounds in there going on too, putting a cool twist on it and taking it to a new place. If you haven't heard it yet, go check it out!"

SKINLAB recently hit the road as direct support for EXHORDER on "The Tour Of Unsound Minds". The 18-date run kicked off April 2 in Morgantown, West Virginia and will wrap April 19 in Cadillac, Michigan, hitting the East Coast and Midwest.

SKINLAB is continuing to work on a brand-new full-length album — the group's first since 2019's "Venomous".

Formed in 1994, SKINLAB has been a cornerstone of the American heavy metal scene, delivering seminal albums like "Bound, Gagged And Blindfolded" (1997),"Disembody: The New Flesh" (1999) and "ReVoltingRoom" (2002) through Century Media, followed by "The Scars Between Us" (2009) and "Venomous" (2019). Known for their unrelenting live performances and a sound that blends groove, thrash, and pure aggression, SKINLAB continues to push the boundaries of heavy music.

SKINLAB has had different lineups throughout its history, with Esquivel as the only mainstay.

"Last Breath" is the first recorded music to feature Miles, and SKINLAB couldn't be more fired up about it. Esquivel says it plainly: "This will be the first music featuring Angelo. We've done a few tours together now and everything has been going great. We all get along and share the same love for the music. Very stoked to have Angelo in the band — he's a beast and one of the best humans I've ever met."

The current SKINLAB lineup is:

Steev Esquivel - Vocals, Bass
Marcos Melina - Guitar
Angelo Miles - Guitar
Fabian Vestod - Drums