Year : 2013
Style : Folk Metal , Black Metal
Country : Scotland
Audio : 320 kbps + scans
Size : 96 mb
Bio:
Cnoc An Tursa are a Scottish Metal Band forged in Falkirk 2006 by Alan Buchan and Rene Hill, and ancient Borough whose Motto is: "Better Meddle wi' the De'il than the Bairns O’ Falkirk"Cnoc An Tursa create intense, epic ballads combined with the tales of a much neglected art form; old Scottish poetry. Their sound represents a totally unrivaled form of heavy Scottish metal with ravenous melodic undertones and ancient rhythmical lyrics, capturing a sound deeply rooted in ancient heritage; giving a fresh perspective on what Scottish metal has to offer.Having played with the likes of Taake and Wodensthrone as well as a full UK tour with label mates Winterfylleth in the winter of 2010 the band gathered a large following and label interest, the band was picked up by Chris Naughton at Lone Vigil Recordings who introduced their debut album 'The Giants of Auld' to Candlelight records for release.The album was recorded at Foel Studios in Wales by acclaimed producer Chris Fielding (Winterfylleth, Napalm Death, Primordial, Electric Wizard) in 2011 then mixed and mastered at Anthropocide studios.Guitarist and Vocalist Alan Buchan had this to say upon signing to Candlelight: “It's an absolute honour for Cnoc An Tursa to be signing to Candlelight records and be part of such a celebrated roster of incredible bands, past and present. We are also proud to be given the chance to move forward with a label dedicated to bringing out the best music in the extreme metal scene”.
Album:
One of the stereotypes about heavy metal that drives me crazy is that it is not an intelligent form of music. I can argue until the end of eternity that Metal is actually the most intelligent of all music forms in not only its use of music theory but also in many of its lyrics. For every horrible cliché lyric that our beloved style of music vomits out we can counteract it with the beauty of language that so many of the bands we love demonstrate.This is where Scotland’s CNOC AN TURSA fit in brilliantly. Very much influenced by the mind-blowing bands PRIMORDIAL and WINTERFYLLEH, their Folk / Black Metal style of music is intelligent, historical and invigorating. With the release of their debut album “The Giants of Auld” through Candlelight Records, Cnoc An Tursa are here to remind us how thought provoking metal can be.Inspired by old Scottish poetry, the lyrics and themes on “The Giants of Auld” are pulled directly from old Scottish poets like Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott. Lyrics for the record are taken directly from their poems for instance “Bannockburn”, “Winter: A Dirge” and “Ettrick Forest in November”. The sheer intellect and bravado it takes to incorporate Scottish heritage and inspiring poems combined with the intensity of tremolo guitars and harsh vocals are outstanding.Musically CNOC AN TURSA also shines. They include their heritage in the musical aspects as well. Scottish harmonies and exuberating melodies pack the record. After a short instrumental, “The Lion of Scotland” kicks the record off with an intricate tremolo guitar riff backed with a gorgeous keyboard melody line. It also contains one of the best choruses on the record. Vocalist Alan Buchan has a killer raspy voice and does an admirable job being aggressive and coherent at the same time. Never utilizing a clean singing voice all of the vocals are throaty and more scream orientated. He still has a unique way of creating melodic choruses, which is incredible considering he is utilizing lyrics from old Scottish poems.One of the standout tracks is the tremendous “Ettrick Forest in November”. A melodic guitar line overlies a driving riff and haunting keyboards. The chorus is captivating and will be replayed in your head over and over again. Based on a poem by Sir Walter Scott, we are treated to the story of a shepherd witnessing the beginning of winter and the death of the woods around him and the despondency of his herd. The fact this song is so catchy is a remarkable feat for vocalist Buchan.“Culloden Moor’s” use of fast picked tremolo riffs, blast beats and a great vocal pattern ends the record on an incredible high note. The breakdown features a gorgeous piano before it transforms back into blast beats with choir like keyboard playing and intricate melodies, absolutely breathtaking. Based on a poem written by Alice Macdonell at the end of the 19th century it tells the tragic story of the death of Prince Charles Edward Stuart who was killed at the Battle of Culloden Moor. It is an inspiring poem that one needs to read along with.A standout debut in a genre that is becoming ever more popular, CNOC AN TURSA define themselves by incorporating so much heritage into their sound. Like their peers PRIMORDIAL and WINTERFYLLEH their ancestry is what drives their essence. On “The Giants of Auld” the unique combination of utilizing Scottish poems that are hundreds of years old mixed with Folk / Black Metal is so clever it drives the point home on how intelligent Metal can be. I can only visualize how they will continue to grow which each release.
Line Up:
Alan Buchan - Vocals, Guitars (2006-present) - See also: ex-Demonic Rising
Rene McDonald Hill - Guitars, Keyboards (2006-present)
Bryan Hamilton - Drums (2007-present) - See also: Barshasketh
David Anderson - Bass (2009-present) - See also: ex-Argonath
Tracklist:
01. The Piper O'Dundee 01:04
02. The Lion of Scotland 04:25
03. Bannockburn 04:44
04. Hail Land of My Fathers 03:46
05. Ettrick Forest in November 04:05
06. The Spellbound Knight 06:47
07. In Shadowland 04:20
08. Winter - A Dirge 04:39
09. Culloden Moor 04:04
10. Blar na h-Eaglaise Brice 03:17
Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/
