Strangers by Scardust, a 2020 album.
Strangers, the second concept album by Scardust, was born in a rather complicated historical period and features a truly unique musical and lyrical structure.
Scardust began recording the album in the winter of 2019, but then the COVID-19 pandemic arrived and everything changed.
Despite the lockdowns, restrictions, and the difficulty of meeting up to record and produce the album, Scardust didn’t lose heart and recorded in the first half of 2020. This grit gave the album a crazy emotional charge. Because of closed borders, the collaboration with the excellent German folk musician Patty Gurdy (who sings on Concrete Cages) was done remotely: Patty recorded in her studio in Germany while singer Noa Gruman directed her via video call.
Compared to their first record, Sands of Time (2017), the only change in the line-up was the addition of Itai Portugaly on keyboards, replacing Alex Nicola.
Noa Gruman: Lead vocals and writer/composer (together with long-time collaborator Orr Didi).
Yadin Moyal: Guitars.
Yanai Avnet: Bass.
Yoav Weinberg: Drums.
Itai Portugaly: Keyboards and Piano (new band member for this album).
In February 2021, a few months after the record’s release, bassist Yanai Avnet and keyboardist Itai Portugaly left the band on good terms. They were replaced respectively by Orr Didi, the long-time “shadow” co-composer, and by Aaron Friedland.
This album is truly unique, with a fantastic mix of folk elements and majestic choral sections.
Patty Gurdy, a German musician and content creator, is the album’s main lead guest voice. She not only sings, but also plays the hurdy-gurdy on the track “Concrete Cages”.
The Hellscore Choir, a world-famous choir with over 30 members, is led by the excellent Noa Gruman. Their powerful, theatrical harmonies give the songs incredible energy, making them even more gripping.
Finally, the Westbrook Hay Prep School Chamber Choir, a highly prestigious British boys’ choir, recorded its parts in the United Kingdom. Their contribution creates an atmosphere that swings between innocence and the unsettling, adding a touch of mystery to some tracks.
Strangers takes you on a journey through alienation and separation, themes that touch all of us in everyday life. The band explores how one can feel “out of place” because of social, psychological, technological, or geographical barriers. This concept is developed through pairs of songs that mirror each other—sometimes in contrast, other times in perfect harmony.
The album opens and closes with “Stranger” and “Maniac”, two songs that make you reflect on how hatred and the boundaries we impose on each other can hinder our coexistence. “As One” and “Neon” take us into the world of digital connection, where we’re always online but often alone in real life. “Over” and “Concrete Cages” tell of disconnection from the natural environment, in favor of the artificial cities around us. Finally, “Hurt” and “Mist” speak of the pain of separations, misunderstandings, and the decay of family and emotional bonds.
At the center of the album we find “Tantibus II”, the ideal follow-up to “Tantibus” from their first EP. This song takes you on an even deeper journey into mental isolation, exploring themes like sleep disorders and nightmares.
The album blends symphonic progressive metal with a sophisticated, energetic sound. Scardust mix the technical complexity of prog—with its sudden time changes and intricate solos—with the grandeur of classical music, enriched by massive orchestral and choral arrangements. Noa Gruman’s voice is the real strong point, able to move effortlessly from operatic lyrical singing to a powerful, aggressive growl typical of death metal.
“Stranger”, the track that opens the album, immediately defines its style. It starts with a solemn choral introduction, then explodes into tight riffs and complex grooves, highlighting Noa Gruman’s incredible vocal range.
“Gone” is a very melodic and accessible piece, designed to bring out the band’s theatrical, dramatic, and emotional side. It’s driven by an insistent piano and engaging vocal lines.
“Tantibus II” is the heart of the album, a track that takes you on a dark, labyrinthine journey, a mix of avant-garde and heavy metal that creates a nightmare atmosphere.
Beautiful “Concrete Cages”. It’s the perfect demonstration of Scardust’s creativity, thanks to the collaboration with the fantastic German folk-star Patty Gurdy. The piece plays with the contrast between Patty’s medieval hurdy-gurdy and modern seven-string progressive metal riffs. It begins with an almost Renaissance, fairy-tale atmosphere, then turns into a complex structure full of counter-melodies and interweavings between Gruman and Gurdy, ending with an epic orchestral finale.
In my opinion, the real masterpiece of the album is “Over”, a powerful and intense track, played masterfully and sung with a splendid alternation of growl and clean vocals, with extraordinary bass lines, as on the whole record after all.
On this album, the rhythm section and guitars are incredibly precise in executing complex odd meters and polyrhythms, while still keeping a powerful impact and an engaging groove. The final sound, refined by Jens Bogren’s mastering, is massive yet clean. Noa Gruman’s vocal performance is simply outstanding. Even if the lyrics deal with dark themes, the music conveys a contagious energy.
“Strangers” is a masterpiece of modern Progressive Metal.
My version
Label: M-Theory Audio – M-070-1B
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition, Repress, White
Country: US
Released: 15 Sep 2023
Tracklist
A1 Overature For the Estranged 6:34
A2 Break the Ice 3:51
A3 Tantibus II 3:39
A4 Stranger 4:10
A5 Concrete Cages
B1 Over 6:14
B2 Under 4:13
B3 Huts 3:26
B4 Gone 4:43
B5 Addicted 5:29
B6 Mist 3:22
Lineup
Noa Gruman – Lead vocals
Yadin Moyal – Guitars
Yanai Avnet – Bass
Itai Portugaly (also credited as Itai Portugali) – Keyboards
Yoav Weinberg – Drums
With
Hellscore – Choir
Patty Gurdy – Vocals and hurdy-gurdy (featured on "Concrete Cages")
