Celtachor – Fiannaíocht

[schema type=”review” name=”Celtachor – Fiannaíocht” description=”Label: Trollzorn” author=”Basak Günel” pubdate=”2018-04-20″ ]

Celtachor is a darkened folk metal band from Ireland. Formed in 2007 as an idea, the band became a whole in 2010. Their influences range from black to doom metal and their aim is to showcase their own vision of Irish Mythology, playing the music with passion and from the heart. The band has three full-length releases so far with the latest one called “Fiannaíocht”.

Filled with a nice celtic folk & black metal, Celtachor not only delivered us great tunes but we also get to hear the story of the mythical hero Fionn mac Cumhaill and his warriors the Fianna. This Fenian Cycle is one of the four cycles of the Irish mythology so it’s quite crucial and meaningful. In this context, the album feels quite diverse with celtic tunes and interesting storytelling; at moments, the listener will enjoy the folk atmosphere with the ballads and at other moments, the black metal atmosphere – which is incorporated quite well into the album- will be felt. This nice contrast of the calm vs. the storm is my main highlight. The songs separately might not complete themselves or not have a meaning but the album as a whole has surely a lot to offer.

As a follower of the band from the beginning, one aspect I realized is the change in their sound and their limits. With this release, I felt that the band experimented a bit within the folk/pagan/black metal genre but staying true to their celtic roots and their interesting concept nevertheless. That being said, the album also features two new musicians ; Liam Henry and Robert Macdomhnail. These musicians definitely brought a fresh air to the whole sound and made the album much more interesting! The ballad-like songs (eg. The Search for Sadbh, Great Ships Came From Over The Waves) with the folk instruments, clean vocals and the guitar even became my highlights compared to the harsher songs (eg. Caoilte). So depending on which side of this music you like, some songs will stand out more than others.

One contra of this album is that it feels a bit stagnant as a whole. Surely I enjoyed the folk melodies and the atmosphere but it’s not one of those albums that stay in your mind. So I would have preferred a better composition and integrity especially considering that there is a story to tell. This is especially important in this genre since one has to stand out among the others. So this might be an aspect Celtachor can work on in the future.

“Fiannaiocht” may not be one of those extraordinary records within this genre but it is surely a nice one to listen to for the lovers of folk & pagan metal. If you are especially interested in the Irish mythology, this album will be even more interesting. So give it a try!

Line-up:
Stephen Roche – vocals, whistles
David Quinn – guitar, backing vocals
Anaïs Chareyre – drums, bodhran, backing vocals
Fionn Stafford – guitar, backing vocals
Robert Macdomhnail – bass, bouzouki, harp
Liam Henry – violin, harp

Tracklist: 1. Sons of Moma 2. King of Tara 3. Tuiren 4. The Search For Sadbh 5. Caoilte 6. Great Ships Came From Over The Waves 7. The Battle on the Shore 8. Tears of Aoife 9. Cauldron of Plenty 10. Dubh Dun Agus Liath

Links:
Celtachor Official
Celtachor Facebook