by Justin Gaines
– Sr. Columnist —
The Divebomb label has a knack for finding those “wrong place, wrong time” bands that have been largely forgotten but deserve a fresh look, and German band Skeptic Sense is definitely one of those bands. Their sole album – 1994’s Presence of Mind – came too late for Thrash Metal’s big wave of popularity and too early for the resurgence of Progressive Metal. Being on the smaller Gorgon label probably didn’t help things. It’s a shame, because their highly technical brand of thrash is very compelling.
Skeptic Sense’s sound was very much influenced by the over the top technicality of Watchtower, but there are also similarities to progressive countrymen Sieges Even, Toxik and even Sanctuary and Forbidden (in the vocals, at least). It’s an unpredictable, unconventional approach to Thrash Metal, but it works really well. The guitar work in particular is mesmerizing, and the rhythms utterly complex. So much so that you almost feel like the guitars and the rhythms are going in two different directions until Conny’s higher-pitched vocals somehow tie everything together. This is Math Metal at its finest, but it doesn’t shortchange the speed and intensity you want in a good thrash metal album.
Divebomb’s new Skepic Sense collection is titled Mind Versus Soul: The Anthology, and it’s more than just a simple reissue, though it does start off with the full Presence of Mind album. It also includes the band’s 3-song 1991 Harmony of Souls demo as well as their 5-song Demonstration I demo from 1990. All the songs have been newly remastered by Jamie King, and the booklet is loaded with a new interview and vintage photos. It’s a great looking, great sounding reissue, which is exactly what we’ve come to expect from this label.
They may not have had the success that bands like Watchtower, Mekong Delta, Sieges Even and Atheist had, but Skeptic Sense delivered an album that was worthy of those bands. And if you’re one of the many fans of technical Metal that missed Presence of Mind the first time around, Mind Versus Soul: The Anthology is the perfect way to discover this lost classic.
Genre: Thrash Metal, Progressive Metal
Band:
Ritchie (g)
Steifel (g)
Conny (v)
Ilias (d)
Knodde (b)
Track Listing:
1. Structures & Interruptions
2. Harmony of Souls
3. Human Indulgence
4. Raped
5. Downfall
6. Norm Always Wins
7. Last Moments
8. Capital Punishment
9. Harmony of Souls
10. Norm Always Wins
11. Capital Punishment
12. Strawckur/Norm Always Wins
13. Raped
14. Human Indulgence
15. Last Moments
16. Downfall
Label: Divebomb Records
Website: www.facebook.com/skepticsense
Hardrock Haven rating: 8.5/10
