(*) The phrase ‘bone idle’ is an idiom that means ‘lazy’ in English
No metal band had made the violin a central part of their sound before this. The debut flirted with violins on a couple of tracks but adding full-time violinist (keyboardist, and mandolin player) Fritha Jenkins was a statement of intent. The difference is evident immediately at 2:35 of “A Broken Promised Land”, where the guitar disappears, and the violin takes the stage for almost a minute. This is the first of many amazing, haunting violin sections appearing throughout the album. In hindsight it is hard to appreciate how staggering this was as an innovation.
Vocalist Martin Walkyier is his usual angry, poetic self. Sometimes he’s dropping cryptic pagan messages (“Ring Stone Round”), other times he is putting paedophiles to rights (“Men of Straw”), or narrating Boudicca’s last stand against the Roman Empire (“R’vannith”).
Everything about “Spinning Jenny” is great, it is heavy, tight, sharp, witty and instantly recognisable. Second prize goes to “The Declaration of Indifference”, another Skyclad classic and live staple. This has more of a traditional rock/metal flavour but is as catchy and aggressive as anything in the band’s history. The third highlight for me is “R’vannith”, the band’s first and best attempt at an ‘epic’. This one pushes their newly minted folk/thrash sound to the limit, with the violins providing as much momentum as the guitars. I also like “Men of Straw”, the most aggressive song on the album and the one with the best acoustic guitar/violin interplay.
The production is strange and takes a little time to get used to. This might be where the album falls just short of greatness. The production is the polar opposite of the claustrophobic, busy debut. The sound here is much more open. The bass is rich and full, the drums sound great too. The guitar is far less dominant in the mix than on most metal records, the tone is clipped and blunted. I presume this was done to leave space for the violin.
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