Review by Alex Grindor on January 30, 2023.

An ominous barrage of war ambient is presented before you, slowly but surely growing stronger. And then, it all stops in a beat as raw drums and guitars dive into your ears, before being joined by anguished vocals. So begins In Stahlgewittern, the first full-length album by Feldgrau (translated as "field-gray", the color of the German armed forces up until 1989). This project, started in 2020, it's a great display of raw black metal, exalted by its lyrical content about human extinction and war (World War I to be exact).

Starting with the ominous intro 'Mobilmachung', it sets up the atmosphere in preparation for the music, which erupts immediately in 'Storm Of Steel' and barely grants respite. Despite the raw quality of the music, it is not a typical case of awful recording equipment. This entire album has been recorded properly, but polished to a minimum so as to not overproduce the final result. Guitars are frantic, yet atmospheric with a wide variety of riffs and a groove that is present all over the album. The bass has a notorious presence and weight on the record and it enhances the overall result. Drums are the most raw aspect of the album, yet it doesn't detract from the experience. They are played competently and keep the album at a steady pace. Vocals are not the best that I have heard, however I like this sort of "anguished-yet-commanding" vocal style employed by "Ravager", who's now the band's sole member and who's labor in the entirety of the record is commended. His vocals bring to mind someone who has lost everything in the War, yet still tries to keep it together to exalt and command whatever troops it may have left.

The album barely strays from the path of Raw Black Metal, with a constant pace and fury on every track, yet there is room for some deviation and experimentation in some tracks, like '22.4.1915' where it begins as a more doom metal song, only to return to the regular fury of the album. Riffs are atmospheric and rageful, but can also be sinister and tragic when required. Despite this, the lack of production in the drums makes it stand out a bit more than the other instruments (just a pinch of reverb could have been fine) and I do find the album to be "too groovy" at times, even more considering the lyrical subject exposed in this album. Then again, this is a personal preference, but I think that more furious musicianship could have yielded a better end result.

Overall, "Ravager" has done impeccable work with Feldgrau and I hope this first full-length is but a taste of more to come in the future. His vocals may not be convincing to everyone and the album's groove may be a bit too much (for me at least) but I enjoyed the album nonetheless. If you ever wanted "1914" to be more raw, then this may sate your hunger. If you love black metal as a whole, then In Stahlgewittern is a strong recommendation.

Rating: 8.1 out of 10

Review by Felix on June 22, 2020.

The story of classic British thrash metal is a tragic one. So many promising bands - Slammer, Xentrix, Onslaught, Deathwish, Pariah - and so little outcome. Stamina was definitely no friend of these formations and compared with the long-lasting lives of their German competitors, almost each and every thrash band from the UK draws the short straw. And I haven't mentioned the most promising horde so far. Sabbat, the band of a dude called Andy Sneap and a lead vocalist namely Martin Walkyier, catapulted themselves into a top position with their first two full lengths, even on a global scale. But what happened? Walkyier left the band, their third album became their last one, probably inter alia due to a partially modified style and pretty harsh reviews. Skyclad became the new playground of the renegade, but this band soon made clear that it was interested in a broader portfolio. To play "only" thrash metal was not enough for them, but The Wayward Sons of Mother Earth is still mostly based on thrashing elements - and that's a good reason to like this debut.

All highlights of the album from 1991 rely on a thrash metal foundation. 'Cradle Will Fall' is kicked off by an inspired guitar solo that leads to rasping guitars and intense melody lines. Dynamic tempo changes increase the lively overall impression and the band finds the perfect balance between harmonies and harshness. But it is Walkyier who crowns the song with his excessive lyrics about the arrogance of mankind. His excellent lines deserve the highest praise..."But the time has come for us to realize / That the animal instincts we deeply despise / Are far more civilized than humanity ". I agree. The elegantly titled opener 'The Sky Beneath My Feet' starts with smooth guitars that do not lack sharpness simultaneously. An aggressive piece with pinpoint riffs expresses the most vigorous facet of the formation, not only due to the comparatively high velocity of this number. Needless to say, that the lyrics reflect Walkyier's thoughtfulness once again. The less furious yet still heavy and robust 'Trance Dance (A Dreamtime Walkabout)' also hits the mark, especially due to its overflowing instrumental part at the beginning.

The remaining material cannot maintain that superb level of quality, but it indicates the high degree of Skyclad's individuality. Songs with a folkloric touch and unusual instrumentation, piccolo, violin and tambourine, if I am not mistaken, do not celebrate the pure thrash dogma. But apart from stylistic drawers, they have good melody lines, are coherently designed and do not kowtow to any commercial considerations, while a rather strict and attacking track like 'Our Dying Island' does not find the optimal flow. Anyway, I don't want to be too picky; generally speaking, The Wayward Sons of Mother Earth is a fascinating first statement. By the way, this title marks a good description of the band, especially in its early days. Anyway, individuality is good, but good songs are better and therefore it is just great that Skyclad win on all fronts. Only the overly reserved and calm 'Moongleam and Meadowsweet' falls through the cracks, but that's forgivable. The positive facets clearly dominate, even the production with its great guitar tone and the slightly dark touch during the thrash-oriented titles contributes to the success of the album in a remarkable manner, albeit it does not score with an overdose of transparency. So, what, the overall impression is still very strong. Doubtlessly, the story of British thrash almost makes me cry, but the here reviewed debut tells very good tales. No wonder as long as you know the one of the best lyricists on your side.

Rating: 8.6 out of 10