Genre, Heavy Metal, Thrash Metal

Skyclad – The Wayward Sons Of Mother Earth (Review)

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Skyclad – The Wayward Sons Of Mother Earth (1991)

The departure of Martin Walkyier from superb UK thrashers Sabbat was a major disappointment but the talented frontman wasted no time, forming a new band Skyclad with members of Satan and Pariah. Their 1991 debut album The Wayward Sons Of Mother Earth had plenty of the Ye Olde thrash Martin was known for but innovated with its incorporation of folk elements. And lo, a new genre – folk metal – started right here.

Martin delivers his caustic rants on social justice and ecological doom with raging charisma, backed by Steve Ramsey’s powerful and deft guitar work. There are huge thrash hooks in songs like The Cradle Will Fall (I am human!) and gothic closer Terminus but the band’s dark, dense Euro thrash does get fatiguing at times and the album is at its creative best during its folkier moments. The Widdershins Jig is a jaunty highlight (with a riff surely inspired by children’s TV show The Riddlers), Moongleam and Meadowsweet is beautifully lush (with gorgeous guest guitar from Sting’s Dominic Miller) and dramatic bursts of violin liven up thrashers like Sky Beneath My Feet and Our Dying Island.

The Wayward Sons Of Mother Earth’s combination of labyrinthine thrash and pagan textures has proved remarkably durable over the years. More notable and eclectic offerings were to come, as Skyclad followed their prolific, fiddle-mad muse to become one of the most unique and influential British metal bands of the 90s. But the debut has a uniquely apocalyptic appeal that still makes it a go-to in the band’s impressive discography. Not a perfect debut but an attention-grabbing and adventurous one.

56 thoughts on “Skyclad – The Wayward Sons Of Mother Earth (Review)”

  1. Social justice and ecological doom! That’s cool.

    Heard OF this band, never heard them that I know of. But I do like your review. You know how to keep it concise.

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      3. Well, I’m confident you will make it through life happy and healthy if you don’t. But if you find one in the bargain bin, see if you can flip it for more money 😉 LOL

        Liked by 1 person

      9. I dragged a poor girlfriend out to see that shit. She deserves a lot of credit. I dragged her out to see the first Harry Potter movie just because a Star Wars trailer was being shown with it. Jesus what a piece of work I am! LOL

        Liked by 3 people

      13. The only thing that topped it for me was the credits to a movie you’ll never see — Sound City (Grohl Rule). The credits are alphabetical — which means the very first credit is VINNIE APPICE. I love that.

        Liked by 1 person

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