Metal Storm logo
Cruachan - Blood On The Black Robe



7.8 | 75 votes |
Release date: 18 April 2011
Style: Celtic folk metal

Owners:

75 have it
8 want it


01. To War
02. I Am Warrior
03. The Column
04. Thy Kingdom Gone
05. An Bean Sidhe
06. Blood On The Black Robe
07. Primeval Odium
08. The Voyage Of Bran
09. Brian Boru's March
10. Pagan Hate
11. The Nine Year War

Additional info
Produced by Michael Richards.

Guest review by
R'Vannith
Rating:
8.5
Whenever I listen to Cruachan's music I get a little confused. Should I be banging my head or breaking out into a jig? Or perhaps both? In any case this album has plenty of opportunities for either.

Cruachan are one of the more familiar acts to grace us from the Emerald Isle, alongside fellow Folk metallers Primordial. While the band certainly has their own character this time around they've decided to inject some black metal influences into their music, having departed from such a style following their debut Tuatha Na Gael back in 1995.

Read more ››
published 06.02.2012 | Comments (2)

Found in 6 lists
Top lists



Comments

Comments: 12   Visited by: 203 users
19.04.2011 - 16:35
Rating: 9
R'Vannith
ghedengi
Easily their best album yet and much more aggressive. Never would have thought they had it in them, fans of Skyclad should definitely check this one out.
Loading...
12.05.2011 - 16:00
Rating: 9
Skotos

Fucking awesome album..their best by far. The music can be aggressive,hard,calm,fast and slow all in one song
Loading...
29.06.2011 - 23:22
Rating: 7
Susan
Smeghead
How does this album compare musically to their previous works? I've heard random snippets of them before but this is my fist full length. I don't remember it being quite so black metal influenced in the past? Maybe? I really like it this way, though!!
----
"A life all mine
Is what I choose
At the end of my days"
--The Gathering "A Life All Mine" from Souvenirs
Loading...
30.06.2011 - 17:39
Rating: 9
R'Vannith
ghedengi
Written by Susan on 29.06.2011 at 23:22

How does this album compare musically to their previous works? I've heard random snippets of them before but this is my fist full length. I don't remember it being quite so black metal influenced in the past? Maybe? I really like it this way, though!!


This one is an attempt to go back to the original black metal sound that they had on their first album, which they later dropped on their other albums. The original sound these guys had wasn't very impressive, which is probably why they changed it by dropping the black metal influence, focusing more on the folk elements etc. Always found their music nice but nothing exceptional, until this one that is.
Loading...
30.06.2011 - 18:52
Rating: 7
Susan
Smeghead
^Ah, I see. Thanks for explaining. It's nice when bands are able to successfully come full circle with their sound.... Having heard their early black metal sound do you think they were successful with this blend? Or do you prefer their more exclusively folk version?

I can't compare but I certainly like this blend.
----
"A life all mine
Is what I choose
At the end of my days"
--The Gathering "A Life All Mine" from Souvenirs
Loading...
03.07.2011 - 16:22
Rating: 9
R'Vannith
ghedengi
I have to say I prefer the blend over the concentration on folk elements. Plenty of those here to enjoy but the black metal sound they've got here seems to be much better than what they attempted originally. I suppose they're well practiced in bringing in that wonderful Celtic sound but something about the way that they fuse that with the black metal sound just clicks for me.
Loading...
12.11.2011 - 09:43
Rating: 8
tuerda

I agree with what was said previously. This is the best I have heard from them. The vocals (which have never been their strong suit) are a bit weak, but overall this has much more bite than before. I don't just mean aggression either: The riffs stick in your head better, and the tempo changes are more effective. Even the acoustic passages seem more emotional.
Loading...
28.03.2012 - 23:46
Rating: 8
musicalkaratekid

Written by R'Vannith on 19.04.2011 at 16:35

Easily their best album yet and much more aggressive. Never would have thought they had it in them, fans of Skyclad should definitely check this one out.


I can see why you said fans of skyclad should check this out-i believe both bands have a good balance of melodic folk music and some seriously heavy riffs. That said, 'Blood on the black robe' is the only Cruachan album i've listened to...
Loading...
30.03.2012 - 06:02
Rating: 9
R'Vannith
ghedengi
Written by musicalkaratekid on 28.03.2012 at 23:46

Written by R'Vannith on 19.04.2011 at 16:35

Easily their best album yet and much more aggressive. Never would have thought they had it in them, fans of Skyclad should definitely check this one out.


I can see why you said fans of skyclad should check this out-i believe both bands have a good balance of melodic folk music and some seriously heavy riffs. That said, 'Blood on the black robe' is the only Cruachan album i've listened to...


It certainly packs more of a punch than any of their earlier albums, some of those are nice enough but just don't hit home like this one, at least for me.
Loading...
30.03.2012 - 15:06
Rating: 8
musicalkaratekid

Written by R'Vannith on 30.03.2012 at 06:02

Written by musicalkaratekid on 28.03.2012 at 23:46

Written by R'Vannith on 19.04.2011 at 16:35

Easily their best album yet and much more aggressive. Never would have thought they had it in them, fans of Skyclad should definitely check this one out.


I can see why you said fans of skyclad should check this out-i believe both bands have a good balance of melodic folk music and some seriously heavy riffs. That said, 'Blood on the black robe' is the only Cruachan album i've listened to...


It certainly packs more of a punch than any of their earlier albums, some of those are nice enough but just don't hit home like this one, at least for me.


Yeah, still, i'm thinking of listening to the band's other albums, just out of curiosity.
Loading...
04.07.2012 - 19:11
Rating: 8
musicalkaratekid

From what I've heard Cruachan's latest album is indeed their heaviest and most aggressive, but there is still plenty of room left for some well refined accordion/violin/female vocal harmony interludes, which all seem to contribute to the idea that Cruachan are still one of the best Folk metal acts from ireland.
Loading...
21.08.2012 - 00:06
Ellrohir
Heaven Knight
This is damn great album...i believe they changed their style somehow, but it turns out to be a really good move
----
My rest seems now calm and deep
Finally I got my dead man sleep


Loading...

Hits total: 8439 | This month: 12