DIES IRAE

From the very first moment I felt in love with the sound from Sky. They play an accessible and melodic blend of classical and rock (blended with other styles like jazz and some folk). After buying their first two LP's, I discovered this maxi-single when it was just released in 1980.

1. Dies Irae (7.43) : This mid-long piece delivers a pleasant, catchy mid-tempo with a lush synthesizer sound, a tight and propulsive rhythm-section and the typical Sky interplay between the electric - and acoustic guitar (from famous classical guitarplayer John Williams). The final part features a fiery and distorted electric guitar solo from Kevin Peek and mellow synthesizer flights from Francis Monkman (ex-Curved Air).

2. March To The Scaffold (4.51) : This piece builds up with first interplay between bass and classical guitar, then the dynamic rhythm-section and sparkling classical piano follows. The music culminates in the very distinctive Sky sound: a wonderful, very melodic blend of classical and rock, from mellow to bombastic with great interplay from all the musicians (they knew each other well as sessions musicians).