The Wayward Sons of Mother Earth ('91): ***1/2
Skyclad constantly evolves with each album, and this disc was just a hint
of what they would become in the future. It's probably the least melodic
and unique of their efforts. Martin still hangs on to his Sabbat voice
and hasn't started fully singing yet. I hear quite a bit of Iron Maiden
in the music, except with thrash overtones. There are however, acoustic and
classical guitar passages, and although for this album the fiddle player
is not an official bandmember, its presence is clearly felt. The best
song on this album is the classic anthem, "Skyclad." There's also a quiet
England-tribute in "Moongleam and Meadowsweet." The album finishes with
"Terminus," a Dave Mustaine inspired anti-nuke song that does a great job
of capturing the feeling of weapons of mass destruction.
A Burnt Offering For the Bone Idol ('92): ***
I find this to be the least interesting Skyclad album. As it progresses from "Wayward Sons..." it seems to get lost in limbo. There is a clear intention to make this album more folk oriented than the first, with an official fiddle player, and more folk-oriented songs like "Spinning Jenny." But it doesn't go far enough to make it truly interesting. It still hangs on to the thrash elements too tightly.
But also, without complete focus on the thrash, it doesn't have the life or energy present on "Wayward Sons..." Of course, Martin's lyrics are still wonderful, and the song "Ring Stone Round" puts Skyclad in a unique category shared with Blind Guardian: their one-per-album slow, thoughtful, acoustic numbers are at least as good as their best high speed thrashers.
Tracks From the Wilderness EP('92): ***1/2
This EP has three studio tracks and three live tracks. The studio tracks
also appear on some versions of "Prince of the Poverty Line." The first
song, "Emerald," is a Thin Lizzy cover, and it's pretty cool, with lots of
fiddle. The other two are decent. The live section is pretty interesting.
Martin does a bit of talking, and he seems very friendly and gracious. He
even encourages the crowd to dance in "Spinning Jenny." "Skyclad" also
appears here, and it is quite rousing.
Jonah's Ark ('93): ****1/2
This album is Skyclad's first true breakthrough into stand-out music. The songs all have an incomparable richness and feeling to them because the folk and the metal have been mixed in pefect quantities. Whereas the first two albums were mostly heavy metal with a violin, this one delves completely into folk rhythms as well as sounds, while maintaining aggression and power. And those sounds meld perfectly with the overall theme of the album, concern for Mother Earth. There are several quiet or nearly spoken-word parts, including the most depressing song ever (and one of the best), "It Wasn't Meant to End This Way." Anyone starting a recycling campaign ought to use this as the theme music.
Prince of the Poverty Line ('95): ****
This disc is also a not-quite-a-concept album like "Jonah's Ark," except that the focus has shifted from the natural countryside to the dark city slums. Martin yells about poverty, welfare, selfishness, and child abuse, among other things. Overall the album is a little more thrashy again than "Jonah's Ark," and I think that's done intentionally because it really fits better with subject matter. This is probably Skyclad's most solid and consistent album, as it all flows together very well. The version I have has three bonus tracks, which are the same as the first three songs on "Tracks From the Wilderness," so I never listen to them.
The Silent Whales of Lunar Sea ('95): ****1/2
Skyclad has changed much in the few short years since they've been around, but still are undeniably Skyclad. The music here is very interesting, Martin is singing decently with plenty of catchy melodies, and the whole album just has a very mature feel to it. There's all types
of songs present on "The Silent Whales of Lunar Sea" (The silent wails of
lunacy?) yet they all go together well. "Still Spinning
Shrapnel" is terrific standard Skyclad with a great chorus. "Brimstone
Ballet" is very jig-like. "A Stranger in the Garden" is another quiet,
thoughtful song. "Desperanto (A Song for Europe?)" is straight ahead
melodic thrash. "The Present Imperfect," is a slow, atmospheric,
Latin-chant oriented song. And the final, secret track, "Dance of the
Dandy Hound," is an instrumental barn-dance. These all meld to together
to create an excellent album.
Irrational Anthems ('96): ****
This album opens with some clear, a cappella singing, which makes one wonder, "Who the hell is that?" Surprise, it's Martin...he must be getting soft in his old age. But seriously, this album is simply the next step in the Skyclad progression, and bands like Metallica and Queensryche could take lessons from Skyclad on how to remain fresh and vital without sacraficing their identity. This album really hits some good, concrete topics, where each song has a clear focus. "Science Never Sleeps" is about the only time I don't agree with Martin, but excellent songs like MTV-attacking "Penny Dreadful," and "No Deposit, No Return," a touching look at the support Martin's family has given him, more than make up for it. This album has some super-catchy, bright songs, but also some very dark and heavy ones...perhaps the most diverse Skyclad album. George Biddle (on the fiddle) has really started to exert her influence on the writing side of things, adding another dimension to the band. Also, the packing is simply beautiful, and Duncan Storr's artwork on all Skyclad albums has been excellent.
Oui Avant-Garde Á Chance ('96): ***1/2
Ok, I want to get one thing straight right off the bat: this is NOT the next Skyclad "album." A lot of people on the Internet seem to think it's their seventh standard release. They're wrong. As stated in the liner notes, this disc is a "little musical experiment." That said, it was quite a successful experiment. Now, to what it actually is. It's basically a fifty minute, 12 song EP. It's mostly acoustic, has two cover songs, and two songs redone from "Irrational Anthems." Thus, it has difficulty working as a complete album, but has some of the best Skyclad songs ever written on it. The songs are nearly all folk, with very little metal. The music may be a little softer, but Martin's lyrics are as sharp as ever, at least when he wants them to be. Songs like "If I Die Laughing, it'll be an Act of God" and "Postcard From Planet Earth" follow in the catchy, rocking steps of "Penny Dreadful." Then there's stuff like "Constance Eternal," easily the best tribute I've ever heard to a friend who has passed on, and "Jumping My Shadow," a heartfelt song about a lost love. The slowed down and acoustic "History Lessens" can't compare with the original, while "Penny Dreadful" is nearly the same as the original, but with a more folky solo section. My hands down favorite from this album, however, is "Come On Eileen," a cover of Dexy's Midnight Runners' hit from 1982. Skyclad somehow gets us to think that perhaps 80's pop music wasn't actually all that bad. There are also a couple of dark and heavy ones snuck on here, including the New Model Army cover "Master Race." Oh, and Martin sings clearly for most of this album, and he sounds pretty darn good too. So if you haven't heard Skyclad before, don't get this disc first, but if you like the last few Skyclad albums, I think you'll definitely like this one.