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Skepticism - Alloy

More Skepticism - 77%

The_Ghoul, November 26th, 2012

Skepticism emerged in the 90's as the leaders of the funeral doom metal genre, with landmark albums Stormcrowfleet and Lead and Aether, which possessed a quite dark, ethereal, and morose sound. That's not an easy achievement. However, I cannot judge Alloy on past successes of Skepticism; the seed of this review with respect to Alloy must come from within Alloy. So here goes:

To those who know Skepticism, there will be no surprises here. Skepticism has the sound they pioneered down to a T, I must say. The ethereal, floating, guitars; crushing, depressive, omnipresent keys; Slow, expressive drums drummed with padded mallets instead of sticks, lending it more of a "thud" sound than a "crack" sound; and the vocals of Matti. Little has changed in that formula since Lead and Aether. If you've heard Lead and Aether, you've heard the seed of Alloy. I would venture that Skepticism did nothing particularly new here, instead being content with the usual formula. Melodies come and go, each the same mixture of mournful and ethereally hopeful, and while the guitar volume may indeed be bumped up significantly compared to Farmakon, Alloy's immediate predecessor, the basic formula established by Lead and Aether (as well as its sibling EP Ethere) and perfected by Aes has not changed much.

I heard a tiny bit of evolution with respect to the keyboard use on Farmakon, and was hoping Skepticism would go further on that route, maybe modifying their sound slightly. Well, Alloy is somewhat of a retreat. The songs have grown simpler and with increased use of guitars. That, in itself, is not necessarily a bad thing. Neither is that the songs are darker, much like Skepticism's earlier material, rather than slightly tongue-in-cheek, like Farmakon, with slightly less subtle melodies. None of these things really harm Skepticism, since they seem to have this whole routine well-rehearsed, and if Alloy is your introduction to Skepticism, then you will probably end up liking Skepticism. In fact, this might be better for introducing someone to Skepticism, due to the simpler chordal structures, less varied tonal color, and louder guitars. In most ways, Alloy is more accessible than previous efforts. Most songs cut immediately to the chase, busting out immediately with the molasses chords, and it doesn't seem to change.

However, upon repeated listens, it seems that I would much simply just prefer their older material. Farmakon offered a slightly more complex take on the "Skepticism sound", but Alloy does nothing with it at all particularly novel. I still find that Lead and Aether and, to some extent, Stormcrowfleet, very much indeed get more listens than this. The EP's, too, form a nice collection of different takes on Skepticism's basic formula, which is also why I feel, after listening to their entire discography, that Alloy presents the fewest reasons for re-listening (maybe Towards My End also suffers from the same ailment).

Still, Skepticism is still Skepticism, and while Alloy may present few novel or particularly new ideas regarding their basic formula, it's a good listen. It's just that this formula has been executed many times in Skepticism's past much better, and much like how I prefer hamburgers from "hole in the wall" dives rather than McDonald's, Alloy seems to be quite a bit more homogeneous and "safer" than previous works by Skepticism. True to what I mentioned in the beginning, to rate it on its own merits, it's not a bad album by any means. It's just that we've all heard it already before. After nearly twenty years as a band and 15 doing what has been essentially the same formula, it gets a tiny bit two dimensional. Some bands never change the formula (Sodom, for example) and it doesn't seem to be too bad of a problem. Unfortunately, it just prevents said bands from really being excellent. This is sad, because I considered Skepticism to be an excellent band. Alloy, however, is not an excellent nor an exceptional release. It's just more Skepticism.

The light as welcome as the dark... - 96%

Wilytank, November 24th, 2011

(Originally posted by me to the Metal Music Archives: http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/)

Five years after Farmakon, here comes Skepticism again with another release. In Farmakon I was somewhat turned off by how the keyboards tried to dominate the music in places. Here in Alloy, the guitar production has been improved to compensate to make this a much better album. And when I say much better, I mean really.

Arriving at "The Arrival", the guitar is more prominent than the organ keyboards. The vocals are also less low sounding and less monotone. Kind of a shock at first, but I've gotten used to it. Another interesting shocker is that this is an organ based song; and whenever Skepticism does one of these, it's usually scary sounding. However, this song is downright melancholic regardless of how clean the production sounds. 3:48 starts a sorrowful sounding guitar solo to furthur show off the cleaner sounding guitar.

"March October" starts off more atmospheric like. With low rumbling and clean sounding guitar for the first minute before breaking into rhythmic chugging broken up by the slamming on the organ keys. The organs in this song return the scary factor to the music that I'm used to with the organ in Skepticism. For some reason though, I feel that some one of the riffs here was recycled from "Forge" from Lead and Aether. Then at 4:18, the song hits its essential transition to a more melancholic sound only to change back as the song reaches the the 5:40 mark. Soon after though, a guitar lead starts up to keep things interesting. It only sticks around for about a minute before the keys transition the song once more to a different key. Throughout the rest of the song, the riffs get more intense and a guitar solo comes along, but it eventually returns to the initial chugging style.

"Antimony" begins with low bass growling with scary organ keyboards. This song is very strongly organ oriented at first, but nearing and after the 3 minute mark the guitar takes the dominant position and at that point, the song starts to get lighter sounding. Noticeable parts of the song totally lack the organ altogether, but it returns to its scary sounding original line at the 6:09 mark. The song doesn't end that way though. It ends on a low bass tone instead fading away.

Skepticism's other keyboard sound, their more ambient sounding kind, finally makes a return in "The Curtain" to layer on some lighter sounding atmosphere and give the organ a break. This is probably the least negative sounding (so to speak) song on the album. The keyboards give that natural feel that Skepticism are known for, but instead of rainy day mood, it's more of a partly cloudy type mood. The music is kept in this type of mood as we go into the penultimate track, "Pendulum". As we go into this song, the keys sound like string instruments to keep the partly cloudy tone, but more melancholic sounding. Around the 2 and a half minute mark, the song speeds up with the keys playing some beautiful notes and the guitar eventually catching up. Through other transitions, "Pendulum" is able to get my full attention and be my favorite song on the album.

That leaves only "Oars in the Dusk". The organs return here, but they swap places with the ambient sounding keys occasionally. Incidentally, this organ based song is more melancholic sounding much like "The Arrival". Around the three minute mark, we also have clean sounding guitar to break up the procession. There's variations a plenty to keep this song interesting including leading tones on the guitar. As the song reaches it's finally minutes, the guitar riffs get stronger and faster with organs pounding and Matti going through his final lines all to end on a single organ note. At this point, I'd break this paragraph off because the last song on the last three Skepticism albums ends, then starts again to finish off the album. That doesn't happen here on Alloy.

Alloy is a Skepticism album that sounds least like a Skepticism album, but there is nothing wrong with that. These songs are really awesome in their own right, especially the last three. I actually wouldn't mind if Skepticism called it quits with this as their last album, but I do hope they make more music.

A twinge of twinges - 88%

Byrgan, July 20th, 2009

Skepticism uses little pieces on 'Alloy' that could be conceived as anthems: remembered for being dreary and used to the march of a darkened procession. The band still tips the scales and takes you out of the dreams of normality. This isn't measured in scoops like a lot of bands in extreme metal are, wanting to grab chunks and fling those chunks for shocking effects, but instead Skepticism measures their music pinch by pinch. A renowned chef that would never make a quick and speedy special television broadcast, but you have to admit when the meal, no the feast, is made by them, it is something that treats your taste buds to delicacies that are either mouth watering or mouth numbing; however you want to perceive it as a conditioning experience or served as an instant pleasure to your already tainted senses.

The long-faced band is back to shifts and slight alterations among their music with this newest full length recording. The last album you can imagine went for multiple different factions and ideas and not all of them went entirely together, or more precisely not all of them went together in the right order of things makes the real difference; the band attempted to balance it all, with only so many limbs to balance with. This has some shorter, manageable songs for Skepticism and I think comes off to fit the band better at this point specifically compared to the last full length as well. This includes some more rememberable guitar lines, the first track even uses palm mutes and higher placed leads. Otherwise they might carry the song writing with strums, but the delivery doesn't just use droning notes. The guitars have a particular tone to them, one that seems to walk casually with their head down while rummaging over distorted escalating thoughts. And the clean guitar is still mixed in with the music and it pertains just as much somberness as the rest of the glum juxtaposition.

Yes, the snare sound is better suited here than the last, where is was higher toned on varying tracks and conceivably there to be heard better. But this has it audible though most importantly without lessening its harder hitting quality, and it is of course dripping with a saturation of reverb to make it just that much more prominent. I can't get enough of it. And since the music isn't raging forward, it is extra loud when he does hit it one ritualistic moment at a time, like a spooky chiming grandfather clock just hit midnight and we're all in for it now. The vocals are still fittingly growled though less of a visitant than some of the last recordings in comparison to the other instruments. One of the middling tracks uses a melancholic sounding exasperation that is almost raspy, almost strained and is ultimately hard to describe giving it that much more ambiguousness. For the most part he seems to use more "umph" when applying them, doing so with some slight wailing and aren't just a monotone projection like you might think.

The organs still return as if The Phantom of the Opera took over their keyboardist's body and mind, or just the elderly lady who's mastered the Hammond at your local Sunday church put on a dark mask and persona for one of her grandsons. In all seriousness, I think they sound better when playing at a slower pace. For example, the pick up parts with the organ on their own during 'Antimony' can come off as warm-ups and take you sort of out of the atmosphere. Like, for instance, when you witness a drummer go through each of his drums before a show, almost like testing the waters in a way instead of treading the waters. At least to me, organs are a subtle instrument and come off as more mysterious or frightening when they are lessened; "less is more" is a well-known line that film-maker John Carpenter says, if that makes sense. Though when the band plays these live, I can only imagine that would change with the shear monolithic magnitude of the volume, leading to perfect audio-visual sensations, and then the vast and far stretching sound would put the cherry on top of a bittersweet cake. And I'd be ready to indulge in the whole thing. This includes other varying symphonic sounds and theatrical gizmos and gadgets that their only job is to pulsate your ear drums; rising up and down, enticing emotional reactions through traditional strings and other shadowy devices.

I can't call or proclaim this to be 'The ultimate return of the century' because some portions are fairly simplistic, even if measured out. Though overall the band persists still above and still beyond the line of normality. Combining the culmination of their past efforts, I feel the musicians aren't cut and dry at this point neither, with the five year gap between full lengths giving them enough time to produce another album with some more stand out features and additions. Some older fans might take a few spins to get used to some of their newer patterns, lines and shades, though it seems more approachable as an album to someone who isn't accustomed to ultra-slow doom I think while still not completely sacrificing one thing for the other. Skepticism could be a reviewer's/recommender's nightmare or even savior, with having to describe all of the different factions and additions that they serve up. Though as a band they consistently experiment, trying to slightly dodge where you'll think they'll end up while still maintaining their past motivations and ideologies. And I have to say that they still do that here. They push on as a group and have created a recreational activity that needs your full attention like any other hobby. For instance, having both ears interacting separately to two different mediums—e.g.: television and Skepticism—would do them a disservice. I guess we're so used to boring tour guides that we compensate by sneaking off on our own path. Yet when we find someone who is dedicated, their delivery seems to come out as second nature. They might stimulate our senses with luring stories that you'd never hear elsewhere: of how Van Gogh considered just clipping his finger nails instead of a more useful appendage, how the irony of the color-blind 'Erik the Der's name initially being read by a dyslexic, and then the most secret of all that William Wallace was really known as "Wall-Ace," the best mason this side of Scotland has ever seen; with his main intention to let you to know that the freedom's in the foundation not underneath barren kilts or in unsugared English tea. And then some guides are so good that they can gesture and you might gravitate to their movements. Are they cocksure? Nah, in the end they bend and fold into different shapes and sizes from something that can be called their own set of tools. A band that knows how to use these tools and bring out hidden secrets that a normal eye would look at and miss. Yet only the patient and detail oriented would find all of its underlying mystery, and you still may never know the process that they do it in.

Alloy - 100%

moee, November 2nd, 2008

After a long wait Skepticism are back with six new tracks. I was in a conflict with myself wether to start writing a review for this one or just to keep my mouth shut and remain silent. As you can see a decicison was made. My motivation was to make everyone on this site at least have a short look on this band. And that everyone who once liked this kind of music starts to support it once again.


Everyone who is slightly into Doom music heard about Skepticism. This band, so unique and pure. All their previous material is truly dedicated to Funeral doom in its purest form and so is „Alloy“. Still on the same label, still the same band members and still the same music. Nothing really changed all over the past five years since their release Farmakon. But there is one minor thing that attracted my attention pretty soon. It is the lyrics. I cannot remember a release containing so many lyrics as „Alloy“ does. They give you a little glimps of what the band might think or feel when composing their music.


The album itself is consistently floating on and on. Skepticism included no new elements or instruments. Maybe the only new thing is the use of Mattis voice. It could be described as more diverse than it was on their previous releases. He uses his bitter dark voice in many ways and somehow even starts singing every once in a while. More screaming sounds are included this time and fit perfectly well in the songs. In general the vocals somehow stand more in the foreground than they ever did before.


I got the impression that Alloys’ music is more approachable than Skepticism ever was in the past. Not meaning that it is easy listening or mainstream, but the songs are accessible and easier to understand.


In conclusion every Skepticism fan already knows what to expect. No changes, no new experiments, no senseless efforts. It is down to the music. Alloy is focused on the essence of what this outstanding band represents.
"Alloy" joins the hall of Skepticisms revelations. A monolithic masterpiece, timeless, beautifull yet mournful and despaired.