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Metal/Prog Metal CD Reviews

Skold Dies Irae Review by Gary Hill I previously reviewed another set from this act and said that it had a tendency to be samey. Well, I don't think that's the case this time around. There is plenty of variance from song to song. Yet, it feels cohesive. This is perhaps a bit less metal oriented than the previous set, but I think there is still enough heavy metal here to land it under that heading. While I said the previous one sounded a lot like Nine Inch Nails, I hear more Marilyn Manson this time around, but then again, those are different angles on a similar sound. Whatever you call it, this is quite an effective set. As good as that previous disc was, this is much stronger. This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2021 Volume 3. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2021.

Track by Track Review

Dirty Horizon A fierce metal riff brings this into being. It has a thrashy kind of concept. The vocals bring it more into the vein of Marilyn Manson.

Unspoken More industrial in nature as it gets started, this has some cool techno concepts at play. I like the keyboards, and the whole tune works well. This gets pretty driving before it's over.

The End is Near More decidedly metallic, this is fierce and mean in the introduction. It drops to a mellower Manson-like section, but after that vocal part, another screaming metal guitar part screams out. It continues by alternating those two concepts. Some of the metal zones get into some really technical territory.

Terrified Another that is more purely keyboard and techno based, this is an intriguing piece of music. This does earn a definite parental advisory.

Love is a Disease Heavy and rather crazed, this is another that calls to mind Marilyn Manson. It is driving and rather catchy. It gets some meaty metal sounds in the mix.

This is the Way The metal grinding is fierce on this cut. Yet there are some almost spacey elements at play, too.

Silicon Dreams Another that has quite a bit that lands more on the electronic side of the industrial texture, this does gets some fiercer metallic moments. It earns another parental advisory. This is another Marilyn Manson styled tune.

As Above so Below This is another that's more electronic techno in nature. It's tastefully dark and even a little trippy. This classy tune might not be the most metal thing here, but it's one of my favorites on the disc.

Kill Yourself The electronic opening of this is so cool. That morphs to the main concept of the track. This is another highlight of the set for me, although again, it's not really metallic. This gets pretty rocking, but still not really metal meaty.

Goodbye We're back into seriously metallic zones for the closer. Yet, it also drops back to the mellower electronic based concepts for contrast.

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