Demo 2007

I have always been a fan of heathen metal such as Drudkh and Wolves in the Throne Room (although I have quite a few irreverent things to say about either bands' fans), so when it came to my attention that there was a project in British Columbia that was described to me as a mix of both, I was mildly interested. What I found was not a mix of those two bands, although the influences are quite noticeable, but so much more.

This is Skagos' first release, containing two tracks and clocking in at a massive (for a demo) 28 minutes in length. The first track is listed as being improvisational and instrumental, and is 21 minutes long in total. The first five minutes of said track reminded me of post-rock bands such as Red Sparrowes, but with the melancholic atmosphere created by such other heathen bands as Walknut or Angantyr. After what could be deemed this introduction, the music transitions to fast-paced black metal, while retaining the melancholic edge that was first developed in the initial minutes of the track. Finally, with roughly five minutes left in the track, the black metal fades out and is replaced by an acoustic outro. Usually, what makes heathen metal highly enjoyable for me are the vocals, and the raw passion one can feel while listening to them (see Drudkh's Forgotten Legends for details); judging by this track alone, Skagos is one of those bands whose passion can be felt even without any vocals, and it takes more than simply skill to replicate such a genuine, forceful sound. The second track was a bit less interesting to me than the first, although it showed excellent vocal prowess and some very well-written riffs, as well as some semi-ambient passages that reminded me of Wolves in the Throne Room's "Dia Artio" track. However, I am still of the opinion that this track would have been better suited for an upcoming EP or another demo, as it does not flow with the first track very well. Other than that, I was impressed at the quality of the recordings, which was quite clear for a demo.

This demo was only made available to friends and those close to the band and therefore will be virtually impossible to track down, as it is not likely that any of the dozen or so people who own one would be so childish as to flog it on eBay or a related site. However, I highly suggest tracking down the mp3s via internet, if not the demo itself, as it is a good solid slab of heathen metal. Recommended.