Recension Skansis - Leaving You 2011

Swiss Skansis takes the same train as their countrymen in Gotthard and eat cheese (with holes in them) until their voices get all hoarse and they sound all feverish and with a huge dose of the flu in the throat. And they probably think this is the recipe for making really good music.I personally think this has the same kind of quality as blowing flasks or and trail your finger along the top of a glass instead of playing real instruments compared to a vocalist with a sharp voice but hey, that's me - let's not get ourself too carried away with the voice of Reist. This is the second album from the new favourites of Switzerland, considering that Gotthard is lying somewhere in purgatory after their vocalist died last year and they get a new voice for the band after the mourning time is over. What we get from Skansis is a somewhat heavier kind of rock with heavy metal guitars and a sound that carry the spirit of the 80's hard rock, made in the present.

When I started to listen to this album, my spontaneous reaction was "good music, shitty singer", but by time I've grown to accept Reists voice more and more. It's not a good voice, but in context I think he works quite well like he is. Yet, I can't help but wonder if it hadn't been better if they would have chosen a vocalist in the band that hadn't eaten as many sand papers as he's done but stick with like ten or fifteen. Well, that's the real question. Because of this very question, I can't help but think that maybe it's the voice that makes you stop in motion when you hear Skansis? Because I'm thinking "What the hell! This is really good - but who's that fucking ass they have to sing in the band?". And then I listen some more to them because of the music, the catchy melodies and intriguing sound of the band. But would I have done this if they'd put just another metal vocalist in the band? Someone that doesn't have the individual character on his or her voice that Reist does? Maybe… maybe not. Either way, there's more than hoarseness in his voice - there is also character, feeling and qualities. But if there is one thing you really can complain about with it, then there's the mixing of the vocals that has put them way to loud in compartment to the music.

On 'Leaving You' we can find twelve songs that play during 44 minutes and the music we hear is mostly heavy metal, in my book. Or perhaps hard rock. About 50% of the songs really speaks to me, which takes its form in the first four songs as well as Just Another Day and Back From War, and the other half not so much. Too many songs feels like fillers and all though some of the other songs are decent they just don't cut the mustard. Overall though, I think this album stands steady with both feet on the approved and I honestly do think Skansis are just as good as their mountain fetished MC-crazy countrymen.

What's negative then? Well, except for the things already mentioned - which is Reist voice and the mixing of his voice as well as the fillers - I can't really think of too many things that bugs me. Most songs are good and leaves you urging for more because the music feel so alive and have such a nice feeling in it. I just want to move along with it and enjoy, and that's much more than I had expected when I had just pushed play. Too me this feels like a band that distinguish themselves in a genre that is very hard to do so. The music is good, vocals different and all in all it's above average - they get noticed without being overly different. One of the best heavy metal bands I've heard this year. And last. And the year before that… athough compared with four years ago they suck.

Four years ago there weren't even anyone that wanted to play heavy metal. At least not many. But the genre has blossomed once again during the last couple of years and in my opinion Skansis is one of the nicest flowers we've been able to pluck so far, despite the cheesy voice. Hadn't I felt the album stagnate some and repeat itself a bit too much somewhere in the middle of the second half I'd really seen this album as a super album! But despite that I think it's very good and something you really should put your money on if you're a fan of heavy metal, Gotthard and/or cheesed up voices!

PS. Hope you don't mind me putting a shameless tribute to Steve Lee as Skansis didn't have a video on their own anyway.

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Skansis Leaving You

Skansis
Leaving You