Skyclad
In the...all together

THE REVIEW

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. Walkyier was an incredible songwriter, able to play with words like few others, pouring into the song lyrics both current events and the past, using metaphors and wordplay of the highest quality. Live, he knew how to captivate attention with sharp irony and humor. When he founded the group in 1990, after the end of that other great band SABBAT, he couldn't imagine that his new band would be remembered in the history of rock as one of the first groups to mix metal and folk. If the early works still paid homage to the thrash metal of his previous band, over time and with the numerous records, Skyclad's offering gradually became more refined. However, Walkyier decided at a certain point to quit everything, as he couldn’t sustain himself with Skyclad; money was tight, and the relationship with the remaining members seemed strained.

The position of singer and songwriter was taken by Kevin Ridley, the band's producer who had recently joined as a guitarist. The remaining historical members all stayed: Graeme English on bass, Steve Ramsey on guitar, and Georgina Biddle, a violinist who joined the group in 1994 and never left, becoming, in fact, a key figure for the band's folk turn. Unfortunately, the debut of the new lineup, after a 2002 EP, left a bitter taste: “A semblance of normality” (2004) was not at all comparable to the old masterpieces like “Johan's Ark” (1993) or “Irrational Anthems” (1996), just to name two.

It took five years to hear something new again, and the wait seems to have set things right at the Skyclad household. The lyrics seem to have returned to their former glory, as does the music. The beginning of the record is disorienting, but it's only 40 seconds of electronic sounds that soon give way to a hard rock song like "Words upon the streets". Georgina's violin sounds as it once did and Ridley's voice scratches. "Still small beer" is a fast, fun, and boozy pub folk-punk. Among songs that return to the early thrash like "Modern Times" or the beautiful "Black Summer Rain", there are more intimate episodes like "Babakoto" with its oriental melodies or the folk-tribal of "Which is Why". Maiden-like conclusion with the title track.

Recorded in Ventimiglia, at Dario Mollo's Damage Inc Studio, “In the...All together” may very well be the new starting point for the career of a group that seems to have rediscovered the righteous path and the inspiration that seemed to vanish with Walkyier’s departure. Now it is hoped that the future will travel on these tracks, and who knows, maybe one day the imp Martin will reconsider and decide to reunite with his old folk companions...