Skyclad on DeBaser: folk metal fire, violin strings, and sharp tongues

The Profile

Skyclad are a British folk metal band formed in 1990 by Martin Walkyier (ex-Sabbat), Steve Ramsey, and Graeme English in Newcastle upon Tyne. Credited as pioneers of folk metal, they fused thrash-rooted heavy metal with Celtic folk and prominent violin. Georgina Biddle joined in 1994, and after Walkyier’s 2001 departure, Kevin Ridley took over vocals. Key releases span the 1990s through the 2000s and beyond.

Core members include Martin Walkyier, Steve Ramsey, Graeme English, Georgina Biddle, and Kevin Ridley. Ramsey and English previously played in Satan/Pariah. Early albums were issued via Noise Records.

Reviewers hail Skyclad’s unique fusion of Celtic folk violin and heavy/thrash metal, praising sharp lyrics and energetic arrangements. Early classics and the mid-90s peak get special love, while the post-Walkyier era finds renewed spark with In the... All Together. Standout tracks and social bite recur through the write-ups. Overall: consistently admired and under-recognized.

Notable Quotes

❝ Really, I don't understand why a band capable of mixing pagan-influenced Celtic folk elements with old-school metal with thrash tones has gone so unnoticed.

❝ even if our friends were not the inventors of so-called “folk metal,” they certainly represent its flag bearers.

❝ he founded Skyclad with the intent to create “the ultimate pagan metal band”.

❝ Prince of the Poverty Line (branded 1994), is the fourth chapter of a discography that closes the band's rawest and most sincere period.

❝ When in 2001, Martin Walkyier decided to put an end to his adventure with Skyclad, few bet on the future of the band without their charismatic frontman and author of all the lyrics.