Blog Post
Sorceress of Sin - 'Mirrored Revenge'
Iain McArthur • 5 December 2020
Album Review
Sorceress of Sin are a dynamic new UK melodic metal band and this is their very impressive debut album. On the lead single, “Vixen of Virtue”, the power and range of Lisa Skinner’s incredible voice hits you right in the face. The closest comparisons are probably male singers like Geoff Tate or maybe European metallers like Michael Kiske or Kai Hansen and you can clearly hear why this band has been built around her vocal talent. As an opening track on a debut album, it’s a stunning way for the band to introduce themselves.
The band have a husband and wife combo at their core as Lisa’s husband Paul is the drummer, with the more experienced Topher O’Meagher on bass and the guitars come from a classically trained Greek gentleman named Constantine Kanakis who has had a large hand in the writing. Special mention also to Tom MacLean who produces and takes care of orchestrations.
There’s a traditional streak through some of the early tracks. “Multifaceted Survival” is built over a classic NWOBHM riff and the title track gallops along in classic early-Maiden style. Lisa has a theatrical background and she reveals her thespian roots while emoting in the spoken word passages on “Splintered Shard”, which also features powerful drumming and a very nice guitar solo. There’s also a spoken word intro to “Parallel Lies”. Lisa shows her full range and takes it up an octave or two in parts of the story of “Aradia” who sounds like an interesting character (Messiah of Bitch....is she goddess or witch?). Things take a bit of a symphonic turn on “Echoes of Existence” where Lisa unleashes her inner-Tarja and Constantine does a tidy bit of Yng-widdling. Then it’s back to the bludgeon riffola on “Empyre of Stones” to wrap it up very nicely.
It’s an album well worth checking out and the band should be a welcome addition to the bijou UK power-metal scene. Highly commendable.