Scardust – Souls – The Metal Resource

5 December, 2025 John Jackson 0 Comments 1 category

Symphonic progressive metal in all its excess is on full display in Souls, the third full-length from Scardust.

When one thinks of Israeli progressive metal, Orphaned Land is likely the first band to come to mind, but Scardust has been releasing material since their Shadow ep in 2015 and their second album Sands of Time (2017) helped establish them in the country. If we go back prior to 2015, the band’s true origin lies with vocalist Noa Gruman and instrumentalist Orr Didi who together founded the band Somnia and recorded a symphonic metal demo that has not been fully released outside of the song “Betrayal” on their YouTube channel. In 2015, other band members were added, the band changed their name to Scardust, and the band recorded the Shadow ep. Two years later the band recorded Sands of Time which contains two collaborations, one with Kobi Farhi (Orphaned Land) and the other with Jake E (Amaranthe). Following that release the band’s following continued to grow through their exposure to audiences playing festivals across Europe and China. As happened to most bands, the Covid-19 pandemic hit the band hard, but they were able to record and release Strangers in 2020. Following some lineup changes, the band has gone on to open for the likes of Symphony X and Epica as well as playing the Wacken Open Air festival.

The opening of “Long Forgotten Song” certainly took me by surprise as the orchestral elements and piano give a very different feel than progressive metal. By the time verses start, there is a guitar line and choral backing which only adds to this feel. Noa Gruman’s vocals are the highlight in the song, with her range, strength, and tone on full display. The vocals remain the strong point of the album and are simply captivating, some of the best I’ve heard in a long time. Toward the end of the song there’s a bit of a bass and then drum solo, which seem somewhat out of place and this would be the theme as I listened to the rest of the album.

“My Haven” starts out with more of a symphonic power metal opening that gallops along and gives Noa Gruman a chance to give some gravelly vocals before getting to the soaring clean refrain. Underneath, there are some complicated bass lines and drum fills which work really well to provide that unexpected variety and keep the song interesting. I really was not a fan of the keyboard, and bass solos though as impressive as they were, they just seem forced into the song, which otherwise was great.

“RIP” has one of the darkest openings on the album with a heavy riff backed by the choir and featuring some growled male vocals contrasting to the clean soaring vocals of Noa. Progressive elements come into play throughout the song as it takes several twists and turns and the guitars, drums, and bass are better incorporated here than in “My Haven”, making this one of the stronger tracks.

By this point in the album, one cannot say enough good things about Noa Gruman’s vocals as they are simply amazing and the softness, range, and strength displayed in “Dazzling Darkness” just confirms that all the more. The refrain is amazingly catchy as well and sticks with you. The band also shows good restraint here. “Unreachable” follows and as one can see in the video for the track, this is an epic undertaking with a guest choir and orchestra. Again, very catchy and the orchestral elements are a great addition. The section of the song with the Middle Eastern influenced solo parts seems out of place here as does the brief bass solo.

The album closes out with a three part epic, “Touch of Life” “In Your Eyes” is the opening part and has again one of those catchy chorues highlighting Gruman’s vocals. Overall, the song has the feel of a power metal song and goes in an unexpected direction with the clean male vocals from Ross Jennings that feature choir and Gruman overlayed. Part II, “Dance of Creation” starts out with largely Gruman’s vocals and some quiet guitar but then turns into a vehicle for vocal solo gymnastics which, while impressive, seem out of place. Part III “King of Insanity” has full power metal opening that is joined by a choir and turns into a heavy, darker riff for some death metal growled vocals and Ross Jenning’s clean vocals that seem a bit forced as if he’s trying to compete with Gruman. Following some solos, the full choir, Gruman, and Jennings come in to close out the song with the refrain from “In Your Eyes” which does provide a good ending.

In Souls, Scardust have crafted some great music and songs and worked well to showcase the vocals of Noa Gruman. Symphonic progressive metal can be an overwhelming combination, and Scardust have fallen into the trap of making the songs too complicated. Musicianship is never in question and every member of the band is a virtuoso, but the songs often seem to be more of a vehicle to showcase this which takes away from the natural flow of the songs. In a strange twist, I will say that more I listen to the album, the more I like it, but also the more annoyed I get at the unnecessary elements.

Rating: 6.5/10

Written by John Jackson

Tracklist