After a first album in 2017 which made a strong impression on me ('Sands Of Time'), the Israelis of 'Scardust' release a new album 'Strangers'. Many know the symphonic metal formation 'Orphaned Land' which have made themselves a worldwide fame and this young band 'Scardust' has all the assets, in another style, to earn the same fame. For those who missed the first episode, 'Scardust' is led by singer 'Noa Gruman' and has the particularity of mixing classical influences with metal. You will tell me that it is common now with bands like 'Therion' or 'Epica' but what really makes them a group apart is to bring a good dose of progressive which could be a clever mix between 'Dream Theater' and 'Epica'. We therefore find in the 11 compositions of this last opus this very particular style which make it a unique formation in the metal musical landscape. And like a lot of group now (see in another style 'The Flower King'), they chose to talk to us about the distance and isolation of human beings that they have also lived during the lockdown in Israel which required them to separately register their own parts.
With 'Overture for the Estranged', we have a good overview of this patchwork which brings together a classical choir and strings with the double pedal of metal accompanied by frenzied arpeggios of electric guitars borrowed from classical music, then, with 'Break the Ice', we are embarked on a musical in which 'Noa Gruman' offers us the perfect singing to stick to this style with vocalizations rising very high in the treble. Without transition, 'Tantibus II' approaches symphonic metal with a lot of chorus reinforcement and in this register, 'Noa Gruman' remind me of 'Charlotte Wessels' from 'Delain', then, 'Stranger' continues with beautiful alternations of intensities and tempos while keeping melodic lines that immediately encrusted in the head. With 'Concrete Cage', it is another style which is mixed in a beautiful way with the guest 'Patty Gurdy' who brings a folk atmosphere with her hurdy-gurdy in a new catchy composition in which Patty's acoustic instrument coexists with the electric instruments which bring a very great force and in which the vocal duet between the two singers is remarkable, then 'Over' ends the first part of the album with a 'Noa Gruman' which beautifully alternates growls with her clear voice being accompanied by the 'Hellscore' choral in a heady melody and always these alternations between powerful parts and others quieter. After a powerful introduction, 'Under' alternates sensual parts in a cabaret style with heavy sections with another admirable complicity between 'Noa Gruman' and the choir 'Hellscore', complicity that we find in the following title 'Huts' , very intense and in a fast rhythm which decreases to make room for magnificent interventions by the choir, then, 'Gone' continues in melodic lines reminiscent of 'Stranger' with a new effective chorus and with an extraordinary new performance by 'Noa Gruman 'bringing an impressive vocal power (again this parallel with' Charlotte Wessels') and with a fantastic instrumental section in the second part of the title. We reach the apotheosis with the catchy 'Addicted' which embarks us in brilliant vocal competitions and which keeps immense strength throughout the title whether vocally or instrumentally with a brilliant final touch on bass, the album ending without transition in a quieter title with a ballad which is much more accessible and which is very well placed to recover from all this accumulated emotion in the previous compositions.
In summary, with this second studio recording, 'Scardust' amazes us with an impressive evolution from the first album 'Sands Of Time' which was already of great quality and, if you are open to different styles that you are not used to hearing together and that you like unusual metal while remaining very melodic, you should be delighted by' Strangers'. For my part, it will undoubtedly be the most innovative album of the year 2020 because these Israelis are shaking up all musical conventions by taking new paths by bringing an originality that has repeatedly triggered on me the 'wow' effect... | |
