Great folk metal album, best Skyclad imho. It includes all my favourite Skyclad songs: Stranger in the garden, halo of flies, another fine mess, and the masterpiece The present imperfect. The latter song ranks among the top 50 of my all-time top metal songs.
That said, it is too unfortunate that this album also contains several filler songs, almost too many. A haircut by 3-4 songs would have helped here. Nevertheless I have some 8.5-8.6 to assign here.

Written by Redel on 14.03.2017 at 23:29

Great folk metal album, best Skyclad imho. It includes all my favourite Skyclad songs: Stranger in the garden, halo of flies, another fine mess, and the masterpiece The present imperfect. The latter song ranks among the top 50 of my all-time top metal songs.
That said, it is too unfortunate that this album also contains several filler songs, almost too many. A haircut by 3-4 songs would have helped here. Nevertheless I have some 8.5-8.6 to assign here.

Great album indeed, but not their best I also agree that Stranger In The Garden, Another Fine Mess, and The Present Imperfect all rank among the best Skyclad songs ever. That said, I find Halo Of Flies a bit weak, like Brimstone Ballet and (worst of the bunch) Turncoat Rebellion

With better production this album would be right up there with their best efforts. Still a very enjoyable listen, even if it is a step down from Prince of the Poverty Line.

Written by Necrodamus on 20.03.2020 at 05:23

With better production this album would be right up there with their best efforts. Still a very enjoyable listen, even if it is a step down from Prince of the Poverty Line.

Prince of the Poverty Line grew on me no earlier than in recent years. Today I would say that it is their best release, together with the album at hand.

What I have been wondering over all the years is what the term "Art-Nazi" is supposed to mean.
A common term, used especially in the second half of the 20th century, for German Nazis that have already been politically active during the time of the 3rd Reich is "Alt-Nazi", which literally translated means "Old-Nazi". It separates this group of people from the "New-Nazis" (Neo-Nazis), which are those Nazis that have become politically active no earlier than after the time of the third Reich.
I wonder if the song on this album is devoted to those "Alt-Nazis", and there just happened to appear a typo that got lost in translation, or if the term "Art-Nazi" is supposed to stand for something else, which I am not aware of.

Written by Redel on 20.03.2020 at 23:41

Written by Necrodamus on 20.03.2020 at 05:23

With better production this album would be right up there with their best efforts. Still a very enjoyable listen, even if it is a step down from Prince of the Poverty Line.

Prince of the Poverty Line grew on me no earlier than in recent years. Today I would say that it is their best release, together with the album at hand.

What I have been wondering over all the years is what the term "Art-Nazi" is supposed to mean.
A common term, used especially in the second half of the 20th century, for German Nazis that have already been politically active during the time of the 3rd Reich is "Alt-Nazi", which literally translated means "Old-Nazi". It separates this group of people from the "New-Nazis" (Neo-Nazis), which are those Nazis that have become politically active no earlier than after the time of the third Reich.
I wonder if the song on this album is devoted to those "Alt-Nazis", and there just happened to appear a typo that got lost in translation, or if the term "Art-Nazi" is supposed to stand for something else, which I am not aware of.

It's probably not a typo given Skyclad's play-on-words song titles. I'm thinking it's a play-on-words of the aforementioned "Alt-Nazi" you described. Still, an odd title for sure.

Written by Necrodamus on 24.03.2020 at 00:43

It's probably not a typo given Skyclad's play-on-words song titles. I'm thinking it's a play-on-words of the aforementioned "Alt-Nazi" you described. Still, an odd title for sure.

Right, their play-on-words song titles. I didnt think of it in this context. That could be the reason for this title. Though I wont really understand the play in this case. And it would be a pretty subtle one, right? Or is it that all the people that dont speak German are aware of the term Alt-Nazi?

Written by Redel on 24.03.2020 at 21:23

Written by Necrodamus on 24.03.2020 at 00:43

It's probably not a typo given Skyclad's play-on-words song titles. I'm thinking it's a play-on-words of the aforementioned "Alt-Nazi" you described. Still, an odd title for sure.

Right, their play-on-words song titles. I didnt think of it in this context. That could be the reason for this title. Though I wont really understand the play in this case. And it would be a pretty subtle one, right? Or is it that all the people that dont speak German are aware of the term Alt-Nazi?

just discovering it myself.
And I'm sure it's not a typo on Skyclad's part, as the lyrics show

Written by Darkside Momo on 24.03.2020 at 23:17

And I'm sure it's not a typo on Skyclad's part, as the lyrics show

How do the lyrics show that it is not a typo?
What I meant by typo is that some native speaker might have translated it for the band. And in this process one letter got lost in translation, and then sticks through the entire song, lyrics...
But I not sure anymore that this has really been the case. I like the play-on-words song titles hypothesis, though I dont really get the point in this case.

Written by Redel on 25.03.2020 at 22:43

Written by Darkside Momo on 24.03.2020 at 23:17

And I'm sure it's not a typo on Skyclad's part, as the lyrics show

How do the lyrics show that it is not a typo?
What I meant by typo is that some native speaker might have translated it for the band. And in this process one letter got lost in translation, and then sticks through the entire song, lyrics...
But I not sure anymore that this has really been the case. I like the play-on-words song titles hypothesis, though I dont really get the point in this case.

Well I don't see anything 3rd reich related in the song, more of an acerbic critic of the state of an art creator vs the business side (which is also described as the devil) who are the only one who know the (monetary) worth of art - kind of grammar nazis but for art.
Well, that's how I understand the lyrics anyway

Written by Darkside Momo on 28.03.2020 at 02:12

Well I don't see anything 3rd reich related in the song, more of an acerbic critic of the state of an art creator vs the business side (which is also described as the devil) who are the only one who know the (monetary) worth of art - kind of grammar nazis but for art.
Well, that's how I understand the lyrics anyway

Hey, that was indeed a good hint. I never saw it that way. But now, given your interpretation, I think you are most probably right, dude.
Skyclad lyrics are really always so much fun to read carefully and think about. That is something -- next to their music -- that I enjoy a lot with this band.

Written by Redel on 28.03.2020 at 21:43

Written by Darkside Momo on 28.03.2020 at 02:12

Well I don't see anything 3rd reich related in the song, more of an acerbic critic of the state of an art creator vs the business side (which is also described as the devil) who are the only one who know the (monetary) worth of art - kind of grammar nazis but for art.
Well, that's how I understand the lyrics anyway

Hey, that was indeed a good hint. I never saw it that way. But now, given your interpretation, I think you are most probably right, dude.
Skyclad lyrics are really always so much fun to read carefully and think about. That is something -- next to their music -- that I enjoy a lot with this band.

Yeah, Martin Walkier is such an awesome lyricist - one of the best for sure

Written by Darkside Momo on 28.03.2020 at 22:52

Yeah, Martin Walkier is such an awesome lyricist - one of the best for sure

Agreed 100%.
But it's not just Skyclad, the first two Sabbat albums are real treasure troves of extraordinarily good lyrics as well - for 1988/89 standards.

Written by Starvynth on 30.03.2020 at 01:08

Written by Darkside Momo on 28.03.2020 at 22:52

Yeah, Martin Walkier is such an awesome lyricist - one of the best for sure

Agreed 100%.
But it's not just Skyclad, the first two Sabbat albums are real treasure troves of extraordinarily good lyrics as well - for 1988/89 standards.

Agreed, but I while I like Sabbat, I certainly prefer Skyclad's music

This is good one, maybe 1th folk metal album from band, more folk, less HM, TM, funk, I need listen whole disco. I like it it starts strong, opening song is strong, so strong what follows trough whole album, some weaker songs, but in general aspect its sstrong, maybe bands best

Written by Starvynth on 30.03.2020 at 01:08

Written by Darkside Momo on 28.03.2020 at 22:52

Yeah, Martin Walkier is such an awesome lyricist - one of the best for sure

Agreed 100%.
But it's not just Skyclad, the first two Sabbat albums are real treasure troves of extraordinarily good lyrics as well - for 1988/89 standards.

You nailed it, I agree. That band whit Metallica has maybe best lyrics in thrash metal. Whole 70's 80's early 90's lyrics are boring and shit. Only works whit music, doom metal ,later 90's bm and Scandinavian dm start to write lyrics, basically in mid 90's came good lyrics into metal IMO

Their best for me too !!!

2nd best after prince of the poverty line. Superb album with great songs and variations

Was my first album that i bought from the band, and as such will always have a special place in my collection and heart and its fun to listen to after all the years...