Secondskin - Captive Audience

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Secondskin - Captive Audience

They Say :-
Glasgow experimental rock outfit Secondskin have existed in various forms for nearly a decade and their talent and unerring dedication to achieving exactly the sound they want is unparalleled.

The music of Secondskin combines elements of modern metal, with 70s prog. Often compared to acts as diverse as Oceansize, Pink Floyd, Meshuggah, Tool, Earthtone9 and Porcupine Tree, Secondskin appeal to the thinking music lover.

We Say :-
Sometimes an Album comes along that genuinely takes you by surprise. When something described as 'prog metal' you can be excused for excersising caution... But if you do that you may miss out on 'Captive Audience', the excellent debut release from the Glasgow 4 piece band Secondskin.

This is an album where every track sounds like it's been lovingly crafted, rather than simply recorded. Every note and every harmony perfectly formed and put into its correct place. This is an approach which, when taken to the extreme, can lead to a clinical sound but here it definitely doesn't, this is a band who know exactly how they wanted the finished product to sound and worked hard to fulfill that vision.

This is an album that crosses genre boundaries to bring forth a unique sound. Sometimes there are 'Celtic rock' flavorings in the mix along with more than a touch of 70s prog. But as well as these gentler influences there is something else, a hard metallic side that comes to the fore to grab your attention just as you are starting to settle into the more laid back sounds on offer.

Something else that sets this record apart is the way that the vocal duties are shared between guitarist Ian McCall and drummer Mark Elliot. The harmonies and interplay between the two voices is stunning, giving the band an extra musical layer and giving the lyrics a real melodic edge.

The scope of their bands musical breadth is perfectly encapsulated in the track "Is this how far we're come ?". This 9 minute masterpiece opens with a sweeping instrumental passage, with the later addition of subtle vocals creating an ambient Pink Floyd-esque vibe. Then as you feel the song settle into its rhythm, CRASH. The other side of Secondskin, the hard rock band, come out to play in wave of crunching heavy riffs.

There's just something special about the tracks on Captive Audience, with Secondskin switching tempo and feel like the best of the prog bands, but with some much heavier sounds thrown in. It is easy to see these songs being performed on big stages to big audiences.

It's taken the band 10 years to get to this point, but on the evidence presented by Captive Audience it's been time well spent. With a combination of the right breaks and their undoubted talent we could well be about to see Secondskin smash into the mainstream. On the basis of this album they certainly deserve it.

Downsides ?, Well for me there aren't any. The album may be a bit too metal for the prog zealots and a bit too prog for the metal zealots, but that's their problem eh ? We're not that narrow minded....

Secondskin are already working on their next album, which they say "aims to shape a new reference in the progressive metal landscape". On the evidence of this record I wouldn't bet against them doing exactly that.

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