Kevin Bronson on June 13th, 2019

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Dating back to their scrappy beginnings 10 years ago, British trip Band of Skulls have always enjoyed a special kinship with the city of Los Angeles.

“Like our second home,” singer-guitarist Russell Marsden confessed to a giddy crowd on Monday night at the Echo, where Band of Skulls made an overdue stop in support of their new album “Love Is All You Love.” The sold-out show originally had been scheduled in early May to coincide with the album’s release, but visa issues forced its postponement.

Fans seemed hungrier than ever for what Band of Skulls were serving up: slab after slab of gritty blues-rock with a pop band’s sense of melody and charisma. It’s what they’ve done well over five albums, somehow unearthing new, visceral pleasures in the tried-and-true power trio set-up.

They bookended the show with songs from the new album (they played five in all), “That’s My Trouble” to start and “Carnivorous” as the climax, which saw Marsden and bassist-singer Emma Richardson plunge onto the floor of the Echo to make nice with the crowd and sing to backing tracks and live percussion from new drummer Julian Dorio (Eagles of Death Metal).

The finale was the second explosive moment of the night. During Band of Skulls’ slickly sequenced set, the crowd was in full vocal throttle to “Fires,” one of six songs the trio performed from their 2009 debut album “Baby Darling Doll Face Honey.” They followed with the equally electric title track from their 2012 album, “Sweet Sour,” before ramping down the energy for the yearning “Cold Fame.” “This songs makes us think of this place every time we play it,” Marsden said. Speaking of places, the trio chose to omit 2009’s “Hollywood Bowl,” which might have been nice to hear amid the other 2009 flashbacks.

BONES UK opened the night with a typically uproarious set. The L.A.-via-London trio with a confrontational attitude and an industrial sound will release their self-titled debut album on July 12, and with singer Rosie Bones issuing humorously dire warning to the crowd that they were “about to get boned,” they played the highlights: “Beautiful Is Boring,” “Creature,” “Pretty Waste” and “Girls Can’t Play Guitar.” The latter, of course, defies its title, as Carmen Vandenberg shredded mightily.

Band of Skulls return to Southern California this fall for shows Oct. 5 at La Santa in Santa Ana (tickets) and Oct. 6 at the Mayan (tickets).

Band of Skulls setlist: That’s My Trouble, You’re Not Pretty But You Got It Going On, Himalayan, We’re Alive, Bruises, So Good, Patterns, Cool Your Battles, Fires, Sweet Sour, Cold Fame, Hoochie Coochie, Love Is All You Love, The Devil Takes Care of His Own, I Know What I Am, Asleep at the Wheel, Light of the Morning, Death by Diamonds and Pearls, Carnivorous.

Photos by Annie Lesser