SCEPTIC

Death Metal • Poland

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Sceptic is a Polish death metal band founded in 1994 by Jacek Hiro (ex-Decapitated, Dies Irae, Virgin Snatch). Marcin Urbas (one of the fastest 200 meter sprinters) handled the vocal duties for the first 3 albums (Blind Existence, Pathetic Being, Unbeliever's Script), but is currently a session member due to his sport career. Weronika Zbieg from the Polish Death/Thrash band Totem handled the lead vocal duty on the latest album, Internal Complexity.

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SCEPTIC Online Videos

Sceptic - Pathetic Being online metal music video by SCEPTIC

Sceptic - Pathetic Being
UMUR

Sceptic - Illusion Possessor online metal music video by SCEPTIC

Sceptic - Illusion Possessor
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SCEPTIC Discography

SCEPTIC albums / top albums

3.00 | 1 ratings

Blind Existence
Death Metal 1999

2.92 | 2 ratings

Pathetic Being
Death Metal 2001

3.00 | 1 ratings

Unbeliever's Script
Death Metal 2003

3.00 | 1 ratings

Internal Complexity
Death Metal 2005

3.00 | 1 ratings

Nailed to Ignorance
Death Metal 2022

SCEPTIC EPs & splits

SCEPTIC live albums

0.00 | 0 ratings

Lost Live Identity
Death Metal 2001

SCEPTIC demos, promos, fans club and other releases (no bootlegs)

0.00 | 0 ratings

Demo 96
Death Metal 1996

0.00 | 0 ratings

Beyond Reality
Death Metal 1997

0.00 | 0 ratings

Promo 98
Death Metal 1998

SCEPTIC re-issues & compilations

SCEPTIC singles (0)

SCEPTIC movies (DVD, Blu-Ray or VHS)

SCEPTIC Reviews

SCEPTIC Nailed to Ignorance

Album · 2022 · Death Metal

UMUR

"Nailed to Ignorance" is the fifth full-length studio album by Polish death metal act Sceptic. The album was relased through the Szataniec label in September 2022. It´s been 17 years since the release of "Internal Complexity" from December 2005 and only guitarist Jacek Hiro remains from the lineup who recorded the predecessor. But the new members of the band are actually old acquaintances, as they all performed on Sceptic´s 1999 debut full-length studio album "Blind Existence". So Sceptic are pretty much back to their original lineup on "Nailed to Ignorance" (save for guitarist Czesiek Semla, who doesn´t perform on the album).

If anything, Sceptic are remarkably consistent considering that 17 years have passed since the last release and the fact that the lineup has been almost completely altered. But investigating Sceptic´s history, major lineup changes between releases isn´t something new, and it´s obvious that as long as founding member Hiro is involved Sceptic will sound like Sceptic. Stylistically nothing much has happened in all the years since "Internal Complexity", as the music on "Nailed to Ignorance" is still technical death metal which is strongly influenced by mid-90s Death (the band). The riffs, the lead harmonies, the solos, and the screaming/snarling growling vocals all point in that direction. Add to that some well played technical drumming and we´re firmly based in the Schuldiner-school of technical death metal.

The sound prodution is clear and detailed, but lacks a bit of power. It sounds very digital recorded and lacks the warmth and meaty feeling of a well produced organic recording. When that is said "Nailed to Ignorance" is still a good quality technical death metal release and a 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

28 days ago
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Report #882918

SCEPTIC Internal Complexity

Album · 2005 · Death Metal

UMUR

"Internal Complexity" is the fourth full-length studio album by Polish death metal act Sceptic. The album was released through Mystic Productions in December 2005. It´s the successor to "Unbeliever's Script" from September 2003. Sceptic had already been through multible lineup changes on their first three albums, and "Internal Complexity" continues that trend. Only guitarist Jacek Hiro and drummer Jakub Chmura remain from the lineup who recorded "Unbeliever's Script". It´s not entirely true though as the vocal tracks for the album were originally recorded by Marcin Urbas (the enhanced version of the album features a bonus disc with the album featuring Urbas original vocal tracks), but before the album was released most of them were re-recorded and replaced by the vocals of new female lead vocalist Weronika Zbieg. One of the new additions to the lineup is quite the prolific name on the Polish death metal scene as Waclaw "Vogg" Kieltyka (Decapitated, Vader, Machine Head) has been added as second guitarist.

Stylistically "Internal Complexity" is maybe a bit more intense and brutal than the first three albums, but otherwise it´s still a technical death metal album strongly influenced by mid-90s Death (the band). Zbieg is a good addition to the lineup as her aggressive snarling growling is pretty intense and well performed. The songwriting is still a bit one-dimensional as it´s also been the case on the three preceding albums, but the individual tracks are of a relatively high quality.

"Internal Complexity" features the best quality sound production on a Sceptic album up until then. It´s a pretty well produced album, featuring a powerful, brutal, and sharp sounding production. "Internal Complexity" ended the first active period of Sceptic and it wouldn´t be until 2020 that they were heard of again (when they released the "Nailed to Ignorance" demo), and not until 2022 that they would release their fifth full-length studio album (also titled "Nailed to Ignorance"). With "Internal Complexity", Sceptic left things a bit unfinished, because they actually began to be on to something here, and therefore a 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.

28 days ago
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Report #882917

SCEPTIC Unbeliever's Script

Album · 2003 · Death Metal

UMUR

"Unbeliever's Script" is the third full-length studio album by Polish death metal act Sceptic. The album was released through Candlelight Records/Empire Records in september 2003. It´s the successor to "Pathetic Being" from April 2001. The linuep has been almost completely altered since the last album and only guitarist Jacek Hiro remains from the lineup who recorded "Pathetic Being".

Lineup changes or not the material on "Unbeliever's Script" sounds very much like the material featured on "Pathetic Being" (and on "Blind Existence" from 1999). So Sceptic haven´t changed and only slightly developed their mid-90s Death (the band) influenced technical death metal style. The vocals are still predominantly higher pitched screaming/snarling and only occasionally death metal growling. Sceptic play a lot of death/thrashy riffs and rhythms and add melodic leads, solos, and melodies for texture. There are limited use of piano and acoustic/clean guitars, but those elements are used for effect rather than being an important integral part of their music.

"Unbeliever's Script" features a relatively well sounding production. It´s certainly more well sounding, heavy, and meaty than the sound productions of the first two albums, and it´s arguably an improvement. So upon conclusion "Unbeliever's Script" is a good quality technical death metal release. It´s not an oustanding release but a 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

29 days ago
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Report #882908

SCEPTIC Pathetic Being

Album · 2001 · Death Metal

UMUR

"Pathetic Being" is the second full-length studio album by Polish death metal act Sceptic. The album was released through Empire Records in April 2001. It´s the successor to "Blind Existence" from 1999. There have been two lineup changes since the debut album was drummer Kuba Kogut has been replaced by Maciek Ziêba and lead vocalist Marcin Urbaś has been replaced by Micha Senajko.

Stylistically the material on "Pathetic Being" continues the technical death metal style of "Blind Existence". It´s still a music style which is strongly influenced by mid-90s Death (the band) and if you enjoy an albums like "Symbolic" (1995) and especially "The Sound of Perseverance" (1998) this could be a release down your alley. The vocals are high pitched screaming/snarling (spiced up with the occasional lower death metal growling moment), the drums are fast-paced, precise, and technical, the riffs very between technical death/thrash styled riffs and technical death metal riffs. Guitar solos are a part of the soundscape, but they aren´t anything out of the ordinary for the style, although they are relatively well played.

The tracks are as such well composed, but Sceptic don´t vary their songwriting enough and the songs often sound too similar. The sound production is decent, but not great and the odd dry snare drum sound from the debut album also marres "Pathetic Being". On the whole more variation in the songwriting department and a sharper sound production would have made "Pathetic Being" a more inviting listen. The performances are pretty strong so it´s not like this is an album without quality. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

30 days ago
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Report #882886

SCEPTIC Blind Existence

Album · 1999 · Death Metal

UMUR

"Blind Existence" is the debut full-length studio album by Polish death metal act Sceptic. The album was released through Mystic Productions in 1999. Sceptic formed in 1995 and released three demos before being signed for the release of "Blind Existence".

The music on the album is technical death metal greatly influenced by early- to mid-nineties Death (the band). Especially the guitar riffs are sometimes very similar to the riffing style of Death but the technical drumming is also in the vein of the most technical drumming on the last couple of Death albums. Sceptic isn´t what I would call a clone though. They also display original ideas. The instrumental track "Outworld" and the progressive (with clean singing) "Painful Silence" are the two tracks that set themselves apart from the remaining tracks on the album, but those two tracks also provide inconsistency and some stylistic confusion. Especially the latter, which sounds a bit out of place on the album. When discussing consistency the quality of the tracks also vary a bit too much on "Blind Existence" and especially near the end of the album I´m beginning to wonder if it´s the same band who recorded the first couple of brilliant technical death metal tracks as the one who recorded the last couple of mediocre death metal songs. It´s a shame because when Sceptic are best they are actually really great.

The production leaves a bit to be desired too. The bass sounds a bit thin and metallic (especially the slap-bass parts sound very thin) and the snare drum sound is rather horrible. It sounds like someone is beating the crap out of a dry piece of wood. So upon conclusion "Blind Existence" is to some extent a decent quality debtu album from Sceptic, but it´s simply too inconsistent in quality to deserve more than a 3 star rating.