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Temptation

    
       
       
       
     
             
Skanners are a heavy metal band from Italy formed in 1982, releasing their debut album 'Dirty Armada' in 1986. Seven more albums followed, including two live album releases, 1998's 'Live!' and 2015's 'Eins, Zwei, Drei - Metal Party', dedicated to the bands founding member, guitarist Max Quinzio, who died in 2014.    
             
'Temptation' is the bands seventh studio album and was released in 2019. And what an album it is...From the moment the opening song kicks in, ears prick up, hairs rise on forearms and blood starts pumping faster. 'In Flammen 666' is foot on the monitor style heavy metal of the most exhilarating kind. Pace, power and urgency flow in abundance as 'In Flammen 666' hurtles along at break neck speed, announcing the return of Skanners - after all, it has been seven years since the bands previous studio album release. Moving swiftly on, the album turns into the heavy rock genre with 'Rays In The Darkness', a bombastic blast of meaty riffage, with a sing along style chorus. What an opening double salvo... The first single released off the album 'Rolling In The Fire', is even meatier than 'Rays In The Darkness' and has a distinct sleaze metal feel to it, similar to 'Slave To The Grind' era Skid Row. Now a triple opening salvo of the most explosive nature, Skanners have set out their stall for the new album to be bold, loud, and proud, all in equal measures.    
             
Melodic heavy metal takes over the album in mighty fashion with the lumbering 'Cut My Heart'. Bordering on the power ballad genre, yet incorporating riffage that would not be out of place in the doom metal genre, 'Cut My Heart' is a very heavy foot stomp, a breathless mid to slow tempo strut that will keep heads nodding and feet tapping from start to finish. Blistering pace returns to the album, rocketing off at full tilt with 'Demons Of Tomorrow' carving a savage path through the land. Speed, pace and power all combine perfectly as 'Demons Of Tomorrow' thunders on, all guns blazing, and with an almighty corker of a sing a long style chorus. A definite highlight of the album. Mellowness rises high as 'The Eye' wanders in, lulling you into the feeling that a power ballad is on its way, but nope... The heavy foot stomping rhythm puts a stop to any kind of emerging ballad. 'The Eye' is a melodic monster of epic proportions, a foot stomping masterpiece, with head nodding of the most vigorous nature happening almost involuntarily. A belter of an album, and it's only half way through... Picking up the pace and storming on at an incredible pace, 'Lost In Paradise' is foot on the monitor, traditional heavy metal at its best. Head bangingly infectious and a cracking listen, raise your fists high and salute a corker of a song.    
             
'The Letter' is heavy, it's metal, it's hard rock, it's a mighty meaty heavy rocking slice of traditional sounding heavy metal. With its catchy and infectious sing a long style chorus taking the songs sound into the melodic rock arena, Skanners are showing their ability to merge the genres of metal and rock to perfection. With its buzzing guitar sound and thundering drums, 'Back To The Past' introduces a NWOBHM influence to the album. Pace and power in abundance, 'Back To The Past' is the best song on the album by a country mile and is a head bangers dream. I defy you to not be smiling maniacally right now and head banging like your life depends on it...! 'Pray With My Angel' may sound like the title of a ballad, but boy that can't be further from the truth. 'Pray With My Angel' is a hard hitting slab of melodic heavy rock with such an infectious rhythm. Skanners manage to inject so much sing a long ability into the choruses of every song, this album is so captivating and mesmerising it's gonna be on replay for some time to come. Sadly though, all good things come to an end, and so does this album, with a ballad. And there was me thinking we were gonna get a ballad free album. 'Always Remember' is a mellow end to a breath taking album, A chance to wind down from the up tempo, highly energised forty five minute roller coaster. Raise your lighters high, sway from side to side and take a moment to revel in the afterglow of a great album.    
             
Overall, an infectious and glorious ride of some of the most captivating melodic heavy metal you'll hear for some time, 'Temptation' is a cracking album.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Metal Gods TV    
             
             
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"a glorious compilation from every step of the bands forty year career, portraying Skanners progression and growth to become one of metal's great bands" Read Review      
     
     
     
           
             
             
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