Blood For The Blood God is the latest instalment in Cruachan’s ‘Blood Trilogy’, and sees the Irish folk metal pioneers go back to black, so to speak.
Aiming to prove that there’s more to the genre than “drinking songs and pop choruses”, the band continue to re-embrace their extreme roots on the record – a musical shift which started with 2011’s Blood On The Black Robe – and it’s arguably one of their most aggressive and ambitious offerings to date.
Inspired by tales of ancient Ireland, the biting riffs and screeching vocals on the likes of The Arrival Of The Fir Bolg and The Sea Queen Of Connaught suit these stories of pain and suffering. Born For War (The Rise Of Brian Boru) is a definite highlight and boasts an awesome, Celtic rock-tinged riff that calls to mind Maiden’s Transylvania, while Perversion, Corruption And Sanctity Part I sums up modern-day Cruachan perfectly as it’s packed with power, pathos, pummelling guitars and mournful strings; effortlessly fusing Irish folk together with black metal. A triumph.
Via Trollzorn
