Bern band SKANSIS are back with their second effort. The info compares them to SHAKRA and GOTTHARD, as well as EUROPE and KROKUS, who can resist that mix? Slick hard rock with an aggressive edge is promised, and we will be begging for more…time to look into the phenomenon.
The catchy and easily digested “Next to Mine” opens the proceedings. The title track is not bad at all but why they didn´t opt for “Never Walk Alone” or “Hear Now” for title track I don´t get. Those are fine examples of the stuff that made GOTTHARD, but SKANSIS are not copycats. There are touches of their famed peers, of cause, but also touches of a band like LYNCH MOB, and their harder, more contemporary indie edge. Achieving that without losing in the refrain department is a good deed. There are no blunders on offer here, two tracks are not quite on par with the rest, but as a whole they have a high low level. There is a positive feeling about the album, bar one track, and only one ballad, which is nowhere near overly neat and tidy. The info speaks of originality, which I believe this lot has. Not by the truckload, but enough to stand out and pass with flying colors. I hope SKANSIS attracts an additional fan base, they deserve it.