Review: Celtachor – Nine Waves from the Shore
Review: Celtachor – Nine Waves from the Shore
Mar 19
Celtachor – Nine Waves from the Shore
For as popular and widespread as folk and Celtic flavored metal is nowadays, there seems to be suspiciously few bands making a tangible impact from the very island nation that epitomizes the cultural inspiration behind the movement. There are a few hallowed names from Ireland that have their place in the annals of the sub-genre, a few even on the first page, but lately the greatest enthusiasm seems to come from across the stretch of water in Scandinavia, Germany, and a few other places. Much of this outward spread probably has to do with some of the first bands bearing the label of ‘folk metal’ having hailed from the Celtic nation, inspiring the first seeds of Viking metal to the east. Which makes for an interesting reversal of history, as it had been the Norse invading Ireland so many centuries ago, implanting hints of their culture along the way. But while a discussion of cyclical cultural anthropology in regards to heavy metal may be tempting, we’ll stick with the music for now. Which brings us to the blackened Celt band Celtachor and their newest effort, “Nine Waves from the Shore”.
The first thing you will notice when playing “Nine Waves” is the form with which the young Irish band weaves their folk flavored songs. Both lyrically and structurally, the songs are constructed in the vein of epics and sagas, long form poems of voyage, conquest, and other historically inspired chronicles. Rasped out in a guttural black metal voice are stories of Irish folktales and mythology, and behind that a thick wall of guitars and drums. The music is progressive in nature, written with variety and exploration in mind; stretching from the soft and melancholic melodies of acoustic guitars and Irish whistles found in Tar eis an Sidhe, to the ferocious and pummeling calls to arms like Conn of the Hundred Battles and Anann, Emmas’s Daughter. Most songs on the album stretch the gamut, offering an interesting and full-flavored listen both as a whole and from song to song, especially considering that some of them are granted up to ten minutes to divulge the full story they have for the telling. The general tone also compliments the form and subject, with climbing chord progressions that herald the epic and grand. Which is not to say that there are not plenty of helpings of straight forward metal fury, as there are a good handful of respectful riffs that liven the songs, especially on the higher tempo offerings.
The only thing that blemishes the album, thankfully, is not the music at all, but rather the technical presentation of it. Mostly, this accounts for a few minor flaws on the production and engineering side of things, and while they are not cumulative enough to detract from the overall experience, they are noticeable. Firstly, the focus on giving the guitars as much meat as possible in the mix ends up being nearly overwhelming during the especially heavy moments in some songs. The wall of guitars sounds cool, but the sonic palette would sound more articulated and well rounded had the duty of low end been relegated more to the bass rather than applied to the onslaught of full-ranged guitars. Secondly, the lead vocals do a respectable service to the music in their black metal stylings, but they often seem underserved in the mix, scraping by just under the surface of their surroundings. It would be nice to hear them given a bit more breadth overall, especially considering how integral they are as part of the story telling nature of the songs.
All in all, “Nine Waves from the Shore” is a worthy and refreshing journey into what can be considered a more true to form journey into folk metal. The band keeps their sound simple but impactful, using the native instrumentation and melodies as natural components to the music rather than gimmicky accents used to disguise otherwise contemporary heavy metal songs. Using long form writing to complement and facilitate narrative folk tales, Celtachor has crafted an intriguing album that is as fun for the stories as it is the heavy riff-driven metal assault. A few technical issues bear witnessing, but considering that this is not a professional level release with a big budget, it is easy to move past them and enjoy the album for what it is: good old fashioned folk metal without the modern gimmicks.
7/10
The first thing you will notice when playing “Nine Waves” is the form with which the young Irish band weaves their folk flavored songs. Both lyrically and structurally, the songs are constructed in the vein of epics and sagas, long form poems of voyage, conquest, and other historically inspired chronicles. Rasped out in a guttural black metal voice are stories of Irish folktales and mythology, and behind that a thick wall of guitars and drums. The music is progressive in nature, written with variety and exploration in mind; stretching from the soft and melancholic melodies of acoustic guitars and Irish whistles found in Tar eis an Sidhe, to the ferocious and pummeling calls to arms like Conn of the Hundred Battles and Anann, Emmas’s Daughter. Most songs on the album stretch the gamut, offering an interesting and full-flavored listen both as a whole and from song to song, especially considering that some of them are granted up to ten minutes to divulge the full story they have for the telling. The general tone also compliments the form and subject, with climbing chord progressions that herald the epic and grand. Which is not to say that there are not plenty of helpings of straight forward metal fury, as there are a good handful of respectful riffs that liven the songs, especially on the higher tempo offerings.
The only thing that blemishes the album, thankfully, is not the music at all, but rather the technical presentation of it. Mostly, this accounts for a few minor flaws on the production and engineering side of things, and while they are not cumulative enough to detract from the overall experience, they are noticeable. Firstly, the focus on giving the guitars as much meat as possible in the mix ends up being nearly overwhelming during the especially heavy moments in some songs. The wall of guitars sounds cool, but the sonic palette would sound more articulated and well rounded had the duty of low end been relegated more to the bass rather than applied to the onslaught of full-ranged guitars. Secondly, the lead vocals do a respectable service to the music in their black metal stylings, but they often seem underserved in the mix, scraping by just under the surface of their surroundings. It would be nice to hear them given a bit more breadth overall, especially considering how integral they are as part of the story telling nature of the songs.
All in all, “Nine Waves from the Shore” is a worthy and refreshing journey into what can be considered a more true to form journey into folk metal. The band keeps their sound simple but impactful, using the native instrumentation and melodies as natural components to the music rather than gimmicky accents used to disguise otherwise contemporary heavy metal songs. Using long form writing to complement and facilitate narrative folk tales, Celtachor has crafted an intriguing album that is as fun for the stories as it is the heavy riff-driven metal assault. A few technical issues bear witnessing, but considering that this is not a professional level release with a big budget, it is easy to move past them and enjoy the album for what it is: good old fashioned folk metal without the modern gimmicks.
7/10
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