I was really looking forward to reviewing this CD while I was in Ireland last week, but alas that didn't happen. Owing to the crappy laptop speakers not doing the music justice, I decided to wait 'til I had decent headphone to listen on. The St. Patrick Day parade in Dublin was interesting however... and there's probably far more traditional Celtic Folk music contained on this album than I heard the entire I time I was on the Emerald Isle.
Starting off with a march off "To War", "I Am Warrior" is the first song, the blending of heavy guitars and flamboyant fiddles works really effectively to give the music both the metal and Celtic vibe they are after. Going more along the solid thrash metal route "The Column" ploughs along solidly and had a fiddle rather than a lead break to keep in character, similarly done in "Thy Kingdom Gone". A sombre flute (or another woodwind if it wasn't a flute) builds slowly as additional layers of violin are added 'til the sweetly melodic female vocals begin singing on "An Bean Sidhe" making it a hauntingly beautiful track, violated about halfway through with an angry shout and angrier guitars which work perfectly to drive home the message of carnage taking place in ounce peaceful countryside. The title track "Blood On The Black Robe" is a rather venomous attack on the catholic devastation of Ireland, and rather epically played out. "Primeval Odium" takes us more into the black metal realm with frantic blast beats and super-fast guitar riffs and even faster fiddle. Unfortunately the title "The Voyage Of Bran" conjures completely different images to that of the music, which is highly energetic, filled with fiddles and sung in a very joyful manner bringing to mind gayful merriment and frolicking, which carries on in "Brian Boru’s March" sans vocals. The penultimate song "Pagan Hate" ventures back into black metal with its speed and ferocity. The final track is the "The Nine Year War" with its angrily sung chants over thrashing guitars and pounding drums, juxtaposed with the light-hearted fiddles when there are no vocals.
A truly fun album, even if the subject matter may be a lot darker than the uplifting music gives it credit for.
http://www.cruachan.cjb.net
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http://www.candlelightrecords.co.uk
