Skeletal Family "Burning Oil/ Futile Combat" 1995 (comp)***/****

Yesterday, a patient visited my practice (have I mentioned I'm a dentist? I think it never came up before) wearing a Skeletal Family T-shirt. I did not comment on it, but I made a mental note to check my collection and get their CD out for a spin. I remember that last time I heard them I wasn't too impressed. I like goth bands to be either atmospheric like Cocteau Twins, or heavy like Sisters Of Mercy. To the best of my recollection these were neither, but it's been more than a decade since I've listened to them so it's time for a re-appraisal.

Skeletal Family took their name from a David Bowie song. They formed in December 1982 in Keighley, a town in West Yorkshire, a county which gave birth to an inordinate amount of goth bands, including The Sisters Of Mercy, March Violets, Mission, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry etc. Less than two years later, they proceeded to release their debut on Red Rhino Records.

Burning Oil (1984)***

...is the band's debut LP, following the release of the "Trees" and "The Night" singles. These are included in the 2001 CD reissue of Burning Oil, but not here. Opener "So Sure" made me reconsider my initial assessment: it's a great mid-tempo melody ala Cure with jangly guitars and propulsive drumming. Singer Anne Marie Hurst sounds a bit like a Siouxsie Sioux imitator, but who can blame her? Siouxsie is just awesome! "Ritual" sports great tribal drumming, but the vocal is not as good as before: too many sneers, shouts and yelps - and less singing. "Burning Oil" is another pretty new wave melody, provided one doesn't mind the singer's constant yelping, which is apparently her signature style. "The Wind Blows" starts off slow and builds in intensity before dying down, while "And I" is a slow gloomy number reminiscent of Christian Death. "11:15" used to open the LP's second side. It's a cool rocker exhibiting all of  the band's virtues: dramatic vocals, tribal drumming and sweeping guitars that remind me of The Edge during U2's early new wave period. The same traits are evident on "Waiting Here" and "Someone New", although these are more melodic and better realized - I think I also hear a garage/paisley underground influence here. This is followed by a rockin' cover of Alice Cooper's "Black Juju", while the (original) LP closes with the slow and murky "Woman And Child". In general, the band's playing is commendable, but the compositions are rather ordinary Goth, typical of the era. Somewhat uncommonly, the great opener is immediately followed by a few weaker tracks, while the stronger songs are saved for side 2 - this hurts the flow of the album and may have been the reason for my initially underwhelmed reaction.

 

Futile Combat (1985)****

But that's only the first half of the story: next year they'd be back with an arguably more mature offering: Futile Combat opens with a more dynamic and assured sound compared to their debut: "Hands On The Clock" has the frantic pace and swirling guitars of classic Siouxsie & The Banshees, while Anne Marie Hurst sounds more confident and less reliant on the mannerisms evident previously. "Move" surprises us with some cool saxophone courtesy of then-Waterboy Anthony Thistlewaite. "This Time" is dark and dramatic - similar to the slower tracks on Burning Oil, but easier on the ears, with nice psychedelic guitar. "Don't Be Denied" is a great rocker with Morricone-esque backing vocals and guitar. "Far And Near", "Streetlight", and the galloping "No Chance" are more Siouxsie-like post-punk. On the other hand, "What Happened" is an almost improperly upbeat Ska-like number. "She Cries Alone" and "Promised Land" are the two lead singles; once more the strongest -and most commercial- songs are tucked away towards the end of the LP. On the whole, there's a notable improvement here: the guitars are more prominent, vocal mannerisms reined, saxes and synths add more nuance. Too bad then that singer Hurst and drummer Martin Henderson chose this time to leave. The replacements didn't fare very well, and the group soon disbanded although they were revived several times in the next century, with different members. I'm including a clip of a recent line-up featuring original singer Hurt at the end of this post.

This CD compilation contains both aforementioned albums, but falls short of being the ultimate SF compendium because it omits some important single and EP tracks. It should please, delight even, fans of the 80's Alternative/Goth scene, while it might sound a bit outdated to others. Furthermore, both albums have been recently reissued on vinyl. Futile Combat especially, which the superior of the two and sports a beautiful cover to boot, would make for a great addition to any record collection.

**** for So Sure,11:15, Waiting Here, Someone New, Black Ju Ju, Hands On The Clock, Move, Don't Be Denied, Streetlight, She Cries Alone, What Happened, Promised Land

*** for Ritual, Burning Oil, The Wind Blows, This Time, Far And Near, No Chance

** for And I, Woman And Child