Origin: England
Genres: Folk Metal
official site MySpace

Skyclad  


Skyclad was formed in 1990 by the pair of Martin Walkyier and Steve Ramsey, Walkyier fresh from his departure from the highly regarded thrash band Sabbat and Ramsey (along with third partner Graeme English) formerly of Satan and Pariah. Their goal was to blend hardened metal with a folk influence, and in doing so they came up with one of the most original and interesting sounds in some time, essentially becoming the first true folk metal bands. Walkyier has been one of the most thought-provoking lyricists in metal, and he was in top form throughout his time with the band. As time went on they gradually became less metallic and more folky (in particular, the debut Wayword Sons Of Mother Earth owed more to thrash than anything the band did later), and while there really is no dud in the bunch, 1994's Prince Of The Poverty Line is often thought of as one of their best efforts.

In 2001, Walkyier walked away from the band, frustrated by financial and management decisions made by the others. He eventually formed a band called The Clan Destined, which managed to record a demo before formally breaking up in 2006. Undaunted, the remaining members refused to throw in the towel, recruiting vocalist/guitarist Kevin Ridley to take over the lead vocalist role. They have continued to survive, though arguably not as popular as when Walkyier was in the band.

Current Members

Kevin Ridley

vocals/guitars

Steve Ramsey

guitars/backing vocals (Blind Fury, Pariah, Satan)

Graeme English

bass/backing vocals (Blind Fury, Pariah, Satan)

Georgina Biddle

keyboards/violin

Arron Walton

drums

Former Members/Guests

Martin Walkyier

vocals (Sabbat)

Dave Pugh

guitars (D.A.M.)

Dave Ray

guitars

Fritha Jenkins

violin

Catherine Howell

violin

Keith Baxter

drums

Paul Smith

drums

Jason Graham

drums (Ravens Creed)

Jed Dawkins

drums (Fifth Season)


Discography


Wayward Sons Of Mother Earth 
1991 Noise
  1. The sky beneath my feet
  2. Trance dance (A dreamtime walkabout)
  3. A minute's piece
  4. The Widdershine jig
  5. Our dying island
  6. Intro: Pagan man
  7. The cradle will fall
  8. Skyclad
  9. Moongleam and meadowsweet
  10. Terminus
  • Martin Walkyier
  • Steve Ramsey
  • Graeme English
  • Keith Baxter

Reviews:   Metal Observer 


A Burnt Offering For The Bone Idol 
1992 Noise
  1. War and disorder
  2. A Broken Promised Land
  3. Spinning Jenny
  4. Salt on the earth (Another man's poison)
  5. Karmageddon (the suffering silence)
  6. Ring stone round
  7. Men of straw
  8. Rvannith
  9. The declaration of indifference
  10. Alone in death's shadow
  • Martin Walkyier
  • Steve Ramsey
  • Dave Pugh
  • Graeme English
  • Fritha Jenkins
  • Keith Baxter



(EP) Tracks From The Wilderness 
1992 Noise
  1. Emerald
  2. A Room Next Door
  3. When All Else Fails
  4. The Declaration of Indifference
  5. Spinning Jenny
  6. Skyclad
  • Martin Walkyier
  • Steve Ramsey
  • Dave Pugh
  • Graeme English
  • Fritha Jenkins
  • Keith Baxter



Jonah's Ark 
1993 Noise
  1. Thinking Allowed?
  2. Cry of the Land
  3. Schadenfreude
  4. A Near Life Experience
  5. The Wickedest Man in the World
  6. Earth Mother, the Sun and the Furious Host
  7. The Ilk of Human Blindness
  8. Tunnel Visionaries
  9. A Word to the Wise
  10. Bewilderbeast
  11. It Wasn't Meant to End this Way
  • Martin Walkyier
  • Steve Ramsey
  • Dave Pugh
  • Graeme English
  • Fritha Jenkins
  • Keith Baxter

Reviews:   Metal Observer 


(EP) Thinking Allowed 
1993 Noise
  1. Thinking Allowed
  2. The Cradle Will Fall (Live)
  3. The Widdershins Jig (Live)
  • Martin Walkyier
  • Steve Ramsey
  • Dave Pugh
  • Graeme English
  • Fritha Jenkins
  • Keith Baxter



Prince Of The Poverty Line 
1994 Noise
  1. Civil War Dance
  2. Cardboard City
  3. Sins Of Emission
  4. Land Of The Rising Slum
  5. The One Piece Puzzle
  6. A Bellyful Of Emptiness
  7. A Dog In The Manger
  8. Gammadion Seed
  9. Womb Of The Worm
  10. The Truth Famine
  11. Emerald
  12. A Room Next Door
  13. When all Else Fails
  • Martin Walkyier
  • Steve Ramsey
  • Dave Pugh
  • Graeme English
  • Catherine Howell
  • Keith Baxter

Reviews:   Metal Observer 


The Silent Whales Of Lunar Sea 
1995 Noise
  1. Still Spinning Shrapnel
  2. Just What Nobody Wanted
  3. Art-Nazi
  4. Jeopardy
  5. Brimstone Ballet
  6. A Stranger In The Garden
  7. Another Fine Mess
  8. Turncoat Rebellioni
  9. Halo Of Flies
  10. Desperanto (A song for Europe)
  11. The Present Imperfect
  12. Untitled Instrumental Track
  • Martin Walkyier
  • Steve Ramsey
  • Dave Pugh
  • Graeme English
  • Georgina Biddle
  • Keith Baxter

Reviews:   Metal Observer 


Irrational Anthems 
1996 Massacre
  1. Inequality Street
  2. The Wrong Song
  3. Snake Charming
  4. Penny Dreadful
  5. The Sinful Ensemble
  6. My Mother In Darkness
  7. The Spiral Staircase
  8. No Deposit, No Return
  9. Sabre Dance
  10. I Dubious
  11. Science Never Sleeps
  12. History Lessens
  13. Quantity Time
  • Martin Walkyier
  • Steve Ramsey
  • Graeme English
  • Georgina Biddle
  • Paul Smith

Reviews:   Metal Observer 


Old Rope  COMPILATION
1996 Noise
  1. The Widdershins Jig
  2. Skyclad
  3. Spinning Jenny
  4. Alone in Death's Shadow
  5. Thinking Allowed?
  6. The Wickedest Man in the World
  7. Earth Mother, the Sun and the Furious Host
  8. Cardboard City
  9. Land of the Rising Slum
  10. The One Piece Puzzle
  11. Just what Nobody Wanted
  12. Brothers Beneath the Skin
  13. The Present Imperfect
  14. The Cradle Will Fall
  15. The Declaration of Indifference
  16. Ring Stone Round
  17. Men of Straw



Oui AvantGarde A Chance 
1996 Massacre
  1. If I die laughing, it'll be an act of god
  2. Great blow for a day job
  3. Constance eternal
  4. Postcard from planet Earth
  5. Jumping my shadow
  6. Bombjour!
  7. History lessens (The final examination)
  8. A badtime story
  9. Come on Eileen
  10. Master race
  11. Bombed out (Instru-mental)
  12. Penny dreadful (Full shilling mix)
  • Martin Walkyier
  • Steve Ramsey
  • Graeme English
  • Georgina Biddle



The Answer Machine? 
1997 Massacre
  1. A Clown of Thorns
  2. Building a Ruin
  3. Worn Out Sole to Heel
  4. Single Phial
  5. Helium
  6. The Thread of Evermore
  7. Eirenarch
  8. Troublesometimes
  9. Isle of Jura
  10. Fainting by Numbers
  11. My Naked I
  12. Catherine at the Wheel
  13. Dead Angels on Ice
  • Martin Walkyier
  • Steve Ramsey
  • Graeme English
  • Georgina Biddle

Reviews:   Metal Observer 


Vintage Whine 
1999 Massacre
  1. Kiss my sweet brass
  2. Vintage whine
  3. On with their heads!
  4. The silver cloud's dark lining
  5. A well beside the river
  6. No strings attached
  7. Bury me
  8. Cancer of the heart
  9. Liss Miss Take
  10. Something to cling to
  11. By george
  • Martin Walkyier
  • Kevin Ridley
  • Steve Ramsey
  • Graeme English
  • Georgina Biddle
  • Jason Graham

Reviews:   Metal Observer 


Folkemon 
2000 Massacre
  1. The great brain robbery
  2. Think back and lie of England
  3. Polkageist
  4. Crux of the message
  5. The disenchanted forest
  6. The antibody politic
  7. When god logs off
  8. You lost my memory
  9. Deja-vu ain't what it used to be
  10. Any old irony
  11. Swords of a thousand men (bonus track)
  • Martin Walkyier
  • Kevin Ridley
  • Steve Ramsey
  • Graeme English
  • Georgina Biddle
  • Jason Graham

Reviews:   Lords Of Metal 


Poetic Wisdom  COMPILATION
2001 Massacre
  1. A Well Beside the River
  2. Cancer of the Heart
  3. Something to Cling To
  4. Worn Out Sole to Heel
  5. Troublesometimes
  6. I Dubious
  7. Science Never Sleeps
  8. History Lessens
  9. Bombjour!
  10. A Badtime Story



History Lessens  COMPILATION
2001 Massacre
  1. Penny Dreadful (Full Shilling Mix)
  2. The Silver Cloud's Dark Lining
  3. Isle of Jura
  4. No Deposit, No Return
  5. Brimstone Ballet
  6. Constance Eternal
  7. Building a Ruin
  8. Emerald (Thin Lizzy cover)
  9. I Dubious
  10. Jumping My Shadow
  11. A Bellyful of Emptiness
  12. Kiss My Sweet Brass
  13. Bury Me
  14. Single Phial
  15. By George



Another Fine Mess  LIVE
2001 Massacre
  1. Intro
  2. Another Fine Mess
  3. Cardboard City
  4. Art-Nazi
  5. The Wickedest Man In The World
  6. The One Piece Puzzle
  7. Still Spinning Shrapnel
  8. Just What Nobody Wanted
  9. Sins of Emission
  10. Land of The Rising Slum
  11. Alone In Death's Shadow
  12. Sinning Jenny
  • Martin Walkyier
  • Steve Ramsey
  • Dave Ray
  • Graeme English
  • Georgina Biddle
  • Jed Dawkins

Reviews:   Metal Observer 


No Daylights ... Nor Heeltaps  COMPILATION
2002 self-released
  1. Penny Dreadful
  2. Inequality Street
  3. Spinning Jenny
  4. The Cry Of The Land
  5. Another Fine Mess
  6. Sins Of Emission
  7. The Widdershins Jig
  8. History Lessens
  9. Land of The Rising Slum
  10. Single Phial
  11. No Deposit, No Return
  12. A Great Blow for a Day Job
  13. No Strings Attached
  14. Building a Ruin
  15. Loco-Commotion



A Semblance Of Normality 
2004 Demolition
  1. Intro (Pipes Solo)
  2. Do They Mean Us?
  3. A Good Day To Bury Bad News
  4. Anotherdrinkingsong
  5. A Survival Campaign
  6. The Song Of No-Involvement
  7. The Parliament Of Fools
  8. Ten Little Kingdoms
  9. Like... A Ballad For The Disenchanted
  10. Lightening The Load
  11. NTRWB
  12. Hybrid Blues
  13. Outro (The Dissolution Of Parliament)
  • Kevin Ridley
  • Steve Ramsey
  • Graeme English
  • Georgina Biddle
  • Arron Walton

Reviews:   Chronicles Of Chaos  Lords Of Metal  Metal Observer 


Platinum Edition  BOXED SET
2004 Massacre
  1. CD1: The Answer Machine?
  2. CD2: Vintage Whine
  3. CD3: History Lessens



Jig-A-Jig 
2006 Black Lotus
  1. Jig-a-Jig
  2. The Roman Wall Blues
  3. They Think It's All Over - Well Is It Now?
  4. Mr Malaprope
  • Kevin Ridley
  • Steve Ramsey
  • Graeme English
  • Georgina Biddle
  • Arron Walton



In The ... All Together 
2009 Scarlet
  1. Words Upon The Street
  2. Still Small Beer
  3. The Well-Travelled Man
  4. Black Summer Rain
  5. Babakoto
  6. Hit List
  7. Superculture
  8. Which Is Why
  9. Modern Minds
  10. In The… All Together
  • Kevin Ridley
  • Steve Ramsey
  • Graeme English
  • Georgina Biddle
  • Arron Walton


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