CRUACHAN - The Living And The Dead
Despotz Records
I might have mentioned it before but I'll repeat it. Yes I am a proud American and I have a huge love as well as respect for my ancestry. My back ground is Dutch, Irish and German. Personally I call em the three aces. Because of who I am it's the Dutch and Irish heritage which is strongest in me. So when it comes to metal music I do tend to love bands from Holland or Ireland.
In this case CRUACHAN are a band from Dublin, Ireland who I got into years ago. CRUACHAN started out back in 1993. I didn't get into em until 2006 with their fifth full length release, The Morrigan's Call. Some years later they came out with Blood on the Black Robe which was an amazing album. Back then they were more of a blackened folk metal act.
But then things changed and the albums which came next were more generic shlock. I mean think Pagan Fest or the generic battle metal saga from the late 2000s. I'm talking about cheesy stuff which was metal but with some folk styles pushed to the masses which was OK. Which brings us to this latest album.
The Living And The Dead is a real folk metal album. There's equal parts of traditional Irish folk music and song structures touched with the metal parts. I actually liked this as opposed to bands who only add a touch of the whole folk style. I mean on here Audrey Trainor's violin playing is a standout throughout this album. The metal is more power metal in direction albeit with a touch of speed and blackened in bits amidst the folk signatures and non electric instruments.
I'd say the bottom line here is that on this release CRUACHAN are much better than on their two previous full lengths. Sound-wise this is what I'd expect for a folk metal album by an Irish band. Great stuff.
LISTEN HERE:
https://cruachanband.bandcamp.com/album/the-living-and-the-dead
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