Scardust
Souls
(Frontiers Records)
Let’s face it; amid the countless variations of the Heavy Metal format, Symphonic Progressive Metal has remained a constant, dominant force since originating (arguably, at least) via the avant-garde Celtic Frost classics To Mega Therion (1985) and Into The Pandemonium (1987). Having become personified via the once unthinkable incorporation of cellos, violins and, to a lesser extent, backing choirs, it grew in popularity throughout Europe as groups from Finland (Nightwish), Netherlands (Epica) and Sweden (Therion) solidified their increasingly intricate tonalities. Among the most underrated of such artists is Tel Aviv-Yafo Israel-based masterminds Scardust. Emerging via their debut EP Shadow (2015) and the M-Theory Audio-issued Strangers (2020), they soon earned a reputation as a creative force not to be ignored. Accordingly, with the release of their Frontiers Records debut Souls now upon us, the group at last appears destined for the global recognition they so rightfully deserve.
On the stellar Souls (2025), an expertly assembled ten song collection of Symphonic Progressive Metal, each track, beginning with the maddeningly infectious, Jazz-fueled “Long Forgotten Song” and the relentlessly pummeling, angst-ridden “My Haven”, immediately commands the rapt and undivided attention of all parties in-volved. Wisely attempting to improve upon the previously mentioned jewel Strangers, the group fires on all cylinders early and often. While integrating an array of Classical elements is undeniably ‘par for the course’ amid the genre’s would-be elite, the group wastes little–if any–time differentiating themselves via a refreshing sense of intricacy absent from recent memory. Wholeheartedly engulfing the proverbial average listener via a series of auditory excursions that are as compositionally complex as they are instantly memorable, the group surges ahead with a unique, well-mannered urgency that allows each movement to exist and operate independently.
Continuing with the thought-provoking single “Dazzling Darkness” and the quasi–epic tome “Unreachable” (featuring contributions from the TLV Orchestra), the newly rejuvenated combination of vocalist Noa Gruman, guitarist Gal Gabriel Israel (replacing the inexplicably absent Yadin Moyal), keyboardist Aaron Friedland, bassist Orr Didi (who has since been replaced by Bar Sasso) and drummer Yoav Weinberg steamrolls ahead at what can only be described as a carefully-calculated pace. Deftly re-channeling a remarkably pure essence of the gen-re into a boldly unique amalgam that relies on musicianship as much as it does raw, unadulterated power, the group surges ahead, laying the foundation for the veritable avalanche that follows. Delivering the proverbial goods without, believe it or not, burying any would-be pursuers within a series of overly complex compositional redundancies, they ‘shine’ with what must be described as a sense of radiance that is somehow not entirely tangible.
Mixed and Mastered by a tandem of Yonatan Kossov (Amorphis, Distorted Harmony, Orphaned Land) and the acclaimed Jens Borgen (Amon Amarth, Kreator, Symphony X), other standouts, including the truly blistering “Searing Echoes” (featuring an appearance from woefully-underrated German Rock violinist Ally Storch) and the exhaustive, Ross Jennings-fueled closer “Touch Of Life III – King Of Insanity”, leave precious little doubt in regards to their long-term future. Exhaustive in both its focus and overall execution, even those still unfamiliar due to an arguably limited sample size, you will only have yourself to blame for not embracing everything they have to offer. With the unnervingly mighty Strangers potentially serving as their curiously long-overdue critical and commercial breakthrough, the end result(s) of the group’s more-than-considerable efforts are seemingly guaranteed, if fate is truly to be believed, to only further bolster their legion of already bloodthirsty constituents.
In conclusion, the oft-mighty Souls, much like its predecessor, ‘hits’ far more than it ‘misses’. With the group arguably serving as a long-overdue alternative within the hierarchy of Symphonic Progressive Metal sub–genre, the majority–if not all–of the lastingly memorable wares contained herein ultimately serve as an ideal showcase. Stylistically maturing at an exponential rate that belies their relative youth, what separates them from their few contemporaries is a painstaking overall focus on consistently crafting thought-provoking compositions (the choir and string arrangements serve as ideal examples), a much welcomed and increasingly rare characteristic among the sonic elite. If you’ve once again found yourself in search of a refreshingly imaginative yet thoroughly satisfying reprieve from the painfully mindless, oversexed ‘female fronted’ mentality that floods our consciousness, then this, my friends, might just be the auditory cure for what ails you. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.
Select Discography
Souls (2025)
Strangers (2020)
Sands Of Time (2017)
Shadow (EP) (2015)