Skansis - 'Leaving You'

A fine slab of contemporary Euro Hard Rock.

I have to admit it, Skansis are a new name to me, I completely missed their first album, but it may be something that has to be sought out. For the record, the band formed in Bern in Switzerland in 2000 under the name Shine, before adopting their current moniker in 2005, and debut album 'Take Your Chance' appeared in 2007. What I like about this band is that their songs are concise riff-heavy hard rock – uncluttered and snappy, with a modern commercial edge. As with most bands from Switzerland, a Gotthard reference is never far away, and while Skansis are not quite near the class of the G boys (RIP Steve Lee), you can see where the band are heading with their sound, especially leaning towards the 'Need To Believe' album. In fact the Skansis sound is a blend of more recent Gotthard and Shakra, with a touch of Jaded Heart thrown in, and Vocalist Reist Reto has an earthy style that sounds like a mix of Steve Lee and Casanova/Mad Max frontman Michael Voss.



After the first play of this album I was still unsure about it, but after the second play the melodies began to rise above the riffs and get into my head, then third play in and I'm totally hooked. I honestly can't pick out a stand-out track, they're all good! The likes of opener 'Next To Mine', 'Never Walk Alone, mid tempo 'Coming Out', 'I Don't Believe' with its riff borrowed from Jaded Heart's 'Hero', the pulsating 'Hear Now', or the contemporary power ballad 'Carry You On' – all great songs. Put simply, a fine slab of contemporary Euro Hard Rock.

Ant Heeks