SCARDUST feat. PATTY GURDY – “CONCRETE CAGES” (Official Music Video)

A Cinematic Union of Progressive Metal and Folk Resonance

Concrete Cages, taken from Scardust’s album Strangers, brings together the Israeli progressive metal ensemble and guest artist Patty Gurdy for a compelling, theatrically scaled piece. The official video underlines the song’s central tension between confinement and release, juxtaposing the grit of city life with moments of natural expanse. It is a production that pairs intricate musicianship with narrative-driven visuals, and one that places two commanding lead voices at the forefront: Noa Gruman of Scardust and Patty Gurdy, whose hurdy-gurdy becomes both a textural anchor and a narrative device.

Written by Noa Gruman and Orr Didi, Concrete Cages is instantly identifiable as Scardust: technically agile, steeped in symphonic and choral color, and unafraid of bold contrasts. The result is a track that balances metallic weight with orchestral sweep, delivering a sound at once precise and expansive.

Themes of Confinement, Disconnection and Resolve

The title Concrete Cages points to a multilayered metaphor: the physical architecture of urban life as a stand-in for emotional isolation, social control or psychological stasis. The video translates those ideas with a series of stark visual oppositions—industrial edges and hard lines set against earth, forest and air. The presence of a full choir suggests the many voices of society and the internal chorus of doubts, expectations or collective force. At the center of it all, the dialogue between the two leads plays as a dramatic conversation, one that shifts from struggle to agency as the arrangement thickens and recedes. Rather than spelling out a singular storyline, the clip encourages the viewer to read the symbols for themselves, an approach consistent with Scardust’s penchant for narrative ambiguity and theatrical framing.

Sound, Structure and Performance

Concrete Cages relies on a meticulously coordinated interplay between rhythm section, guitars, keyboards and choir. The drums provide momentum with crisp accents and driving patterns that allow the arrangement to pivot between tense, tightly wound passages and sections of open, soaring release. Guitars combine percussive bite with melodic statements that often mirror or counterpoint the vocal lines, while the bass locks the low end to keep harmonic changes grounded. Keyboards paint the edges with cinematic texture, moving from supportive pads to thematic lines that help knit the piece together.

Vocally, the track thrives on contrast and convergence. Noa Gruman delivers sharp dynamic control and dramatic precision, shaping phrases that rise cleanly above the orchestral density. Patty Gurdy’s lead lines, subtly colored by the timbre of her instrument, introduce a distinct folk hue that complements Scardust’s symphonic scale. The two voices often meet in layered harmonies or trade lines in call-and-response, a device that underscores the song’s dualities and speaks to the core theme of estrangement and attempted connection.

The Hurdy-Gurdy as Narrative Texture

The hurdy-gurdy is central to the track’s character. Its buzzing drone and wheel-driven sustain create a tone that is both ancient and immediate, threading through the arrangement like an aural leitmotif. In this setting it functions as an evocative texture rather than a novelty, stitching together sections where the music narrows to focus on intimately voiced melody before flaring back into full-band and choral density. The instrument’s modal color lends the song a weathered, folkloric gravity that deepens the contrast with the modern metallic elements around it.

Choral and Orchestral Dimensions

The inclusion of the Hellscore choir gives Concrete Cages a large-scale, almost operatic reach. Stacked harmonies punctuate the climaxes and broaden the hook, serving both as commentary and as a collective presence within the narrative space. Strings heighten the drama: sustained lines and rhythmic figures move in and out of the core band texture, reinforcing themes, building tension and lifting transitions. This orchestral contour is characteristic of Scardust’s approach to arrangement, where choral and symphonic voices are not mere decoration but structural pillars.

Video Language and Visual Design

Visually, the clip embraces a high-contrast palette and deliberate framing choices. Urban interiors and angular exteriors signify the “concrete” dimension of the title, while forest sequences offer a counter-image of openness. The camera moves with purpose, capturing tight performance shots that foreground vocal interplay and instrumental focus, then pulling back to reveal ensemble scale when choir and strings enter. Editing is brisk and musical, with color grading that alternates cool, restrained tones and warmer, organic hues to mark the song’s emotional shifts.

Styling, hair and makeup contribute to character definition and thematic cohesion, from the urban costuming associated with constraint to more fluid, nature-leaning looks that signal transformation. Props and art direction further reinforce the central motif without overwhelming performance, allowing the music to drive the narrative.

Place Within Strangers

As part of Strangers, Concrete Cages resonates with the album’s recurring concerns: separation, miscommunication and the search for connection in environments that seem designed to suppress it. The song functions as both a stand-alone statement and a chapter in a broader arc, highlighting Scardust’s precision writing and flair for storytelling through arrangement. The collaboration with Patty Gurdy widens the album’s sonic palette, pulling the music into a space where folk timbre, prog-metal muscle and choral drama coexist on equal footing.

Key Contributors

Songwriters: Noa Gruman, Orr Didi
Lead Vocals and Hurdy-Gurdy: Patty Gurdy
Lead Vocals: Noa Gruman
Drums: Yoav Weinberg
Guitars: Yadin Moyal
Bass: Orr Didi
Keyboards: Aaron Friedland
Choir: Hellscore

Video Production

Producers: Lahav Levi (producer), Scardust/Noa Gruman (co-producer)
Concept/Screenplay: Noa Gruman
Floor Director: Michael (FRESH) Rom
Director of Photography: Guy Bartov
Editorial: Noa Gruman (editor), Lahav Levi (finecut, colorist, VFX)
1st AC, B Cam Operator (Forest): Orel Betsalel
1st AC, B Cam Operator (City): Omri Ben David
Gaffer: Lee Alfie
Lighting Technician: Shachar Alfie
Location Manager: David Amar
Styling: Maayan Gad, Victoria Smolensky, Daria Singer, Goni Davidson, Noa Gruman, Yoav Weinberg
Noa’s Hair & Makeup and Patty’s Hair: Dana Ayalon
Choir’s Makeup: Hilla Bernstein, Michal Friedman, Rinat Gruman-Menuhin, Reut Paz Natovich
Art: Amily Glick Weill
Props: Adi Golani
Playback: Lev Kerzhner
Production Assistants: Lev Kerzhner, Yarden Gruman, Guy Perry, Orin Mashiach, Moral Siani
Caterer (City): Kfir Ben Aroia
B.T.S.: Shir Didi
Special Thanks: Hotel Indigo Tel-Aviv, Shlomi Hdmi, Buffery Beer Sheva

Ensemble Forces

Hellscore choir singers: Atar Abramson, Bennie Bachner, Danny Semiat, Daria Singer, Dima Fridrich, Enav Kedar, Evgeni Galperin, Goni Davidson, Guy Pery, Hilla Bernstein, Itamar Menuhin-Gruman, Kfir Ben Aroia, Maayan Gad, Michal Friedman, Mikey (Bar) Nadel, Noya Shamir, Ofer Kedar, Ofir Arnon, Sapir Bura, Shani Gruman, Victoria Smolensky, Yarden Gruman.

Strings Quartet (video): Violins – Rinat Gruman-Menuhin, Elad Bogomolny; Viola – Hadar Levy; Cello – Tamar Deutsch Gomberoff.

Recording Credits

Bass: Yanai Avnet
Keyboard: Itai Portugaly
Strings: Alexandra Marcu, Elad Bogomolny, Keren Tannenbaum, Rinat Gruman, Sofie Keren, Yoed Nir

Community Support

Concrete Cages and its ambitious video were made possible with the help of the band’s supporters. Special appreciation is extended to: Lisa Korrigane, Oxana, Heimen Stoffels, Tadeusz Raven, Yotam Braunstein, Stephan Degel, Volodymyr Polosukhin, Michael Didi, Andrei Octavian Dan, David Cooper, Melli Möp, Ben Baskin, Eldar, Daniele Purrone, Rinaldo Chiti, Antonello Mulas, Heiko Maaß, Roger Busquets Duran.

Final Notes

Concrete Cages succeeds as a synthesis of the band’s progressive precision and cinematic vision, sharpened by the distinctive voice and timbre Patty Gurdy brings to the collaboration. It is a piece that sounds vast without sacrificing detail, and a video that articulates its themes with clarity and atmosphere. All rights reserved to Scardust 2022.