Review Summary: Never fear, Skeletor is here!
The boys from Suis La Lune have gone out on a limb with this side project. Suis La Lune and symphonic black metal are probably two things you wouldn't associate with each other, but never fear, for Skeletor is here. The name in itself is quite confusing. The word has dark meanings, but it is overpowered by the fact it was a ridiculously clothed skeletal villain from the Masters of The Universe franchise. This gives them a dark, but goofy personality, which is likely what they were aiming for. It remains quite obvious that they are admirers of black metal, but it is even more obvious they are not experienced in the genre. Two things that set this album apart from traditional black metal are the song lengths and solos. The songs average out to around two and a half minutes each. Everyone of them possessing a flamboyant solo not traditional to black metal. Despite these characteristics, the album is great in almost every way.
From any Ep you can expect a lack of structure and flow. This Ep is a handsome exception. They fit the ingredients of any good Lp into a bite-sized 11 minutes. The intro starts with a build up, and the outro ends with a haunting use of synths and riffing that will leave you irked, but in a good way. The tag of “Symphonic Black Metal” may seem a little disconcerting, but the way Skeletor subtly places it allows it to contribute to the melody without hijacking the riffs. They play quietly in the background when they are needed. They complement the guitars, and ultimately they give each song a unsettling but beautiful atmosphere. Speed is another aspect the band uses to its advantage. Every song has at least one insanely fast section used to contrast the slowness of synths. The vocals are rabid and traditional to the black metal sound. Samples are used in every song as a buffer to give the whole album as “dark humour” type of personality.
Skeletor is clearly out of their comfort zone on this album. It is quite apparent they figured out a formula for their style of black metal. The formula however, is quite simple, and it would be interesting to know what they would write next. The question is, is it deep enough to make a whole Lp from this formula, (assuming Skeletor will continue?) Who knows. The album is definitely solid whether or not they have a place in the scene. If the side project does continue, it is hopeful the next step will include more originality and risk. If you can take 11 minutes out of your day, then you have enough time for this fun, but creepy Ep.
