Album Review | Skeptical Minds – Kharon

Skeptical Minds
Kharon
Out: December 8^th, 2023
Playing time: 47:33

Skeptical Minds were founded in 2002. Only guitarist Michel Stiakakis is still on board from the original line-up. At the beginning, two singers from Belgium, Kristell Lowagie and Jamie-Lee Smit, were on the microphone. The demo EP “First Experiment” was released one year after the band was founded. The debut album “Rent To Kill” was published in 2005. Since 2008, Karolina Pacan has been the band’s lead singer. I have known Karolina for many years, since my first visit to the Metal Female Voices Fest in Belgium. There I was able to see Skeptical Minds live several times. The third album “Omega Thanatos” marked the start of an album trilogy. However, it remained with this album. It is only now, eight years later, that the second album in this trilogy – “Kharon” (after the ferryman of the Greek underworld Charon) – has been completed.

A song title like “The Awakening” is often used for a boring intro. Not so on this album. After a short introduction, you can hear a beautiful ballad. I have rarely heard Karolina’s voice so soft and fragile. Also “Desert” sounds a bit different from earlier songs, very doom-like, with an Electro/Alternative edge. “The Old Man” sounds more like the early Skeptical Minds songs. Roasting guitars form a pounding rhythm. But then the vocals are quieter again in places. And so it continues with “Compass”. Later it becomes very melodic. Also, in “Cocoon”, stomping guitar riffing dominates, accompanied by Karolina Pacan’s ethereal vocals. Does “Reunion” tell the story of Skeptical Minds? After eight years of silence, one can assume so. As with the opener, clean guitars can be heard here first. And another parallel, it’s an enchanting ballad. “The Key” is a bit heavier again, thanks to the rhythmic guitar riffs. But also, as mostly before, in the melodic mid-tempo range. “Rebels” sounds more experimental, with industrial sound gimmicks. “The Training” is then reminiscent of the band’s early years. “War Is Coming” goes back a little further to the early days. Karolina’s vocals are repeatedly counteracted by heavy riffs. And at the very end, “The Path” is the third ballad.

Eight years have passed. And on “Kharon” you can hear a clear musical development. The songs sound more mature than before. Skeptical Minds put a lot of emphasis on beautiful melodies. And Karolina has developed vocally. She interprets the songs with a great deal of charisma. So, you can hear a convincing comeback here. I hope we don’t have to wait another eight years for the next album.

Lineup:

Karolina Pacan – Vocals
Benjamin Lazzano – Drums
Adrien Josson – Bass
Michel Stiakakis – Guitars

Track list:

• The Awakening
• Desert
• The Old Man
• Compass
• Cocoon
• Reunion
• The Key
• Rebels
• The Training
• War Is Coming
• The Path