Celtic metal

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Celtic metal
Stylistic origins
Cultural origins
Mid 1990s Ireland
Typical instruments
Mainstream popularity Europe since the early 2000s
Regional scenes
Ireland

Celtic metal is a subgenre of folk metal that developed in the 1990s in Ireland. As the name suggests, the genre is a fusion of heavy metal music and Celtic music. The early pioneers of the genre were the three Irish bands Cruachan, Primordial and Waylander. The genre has since expanded beyond Irish shores and is known to be performed today by bands from numerous other countries.

Contents

[edit] History

“ Skyclad were the original Folk Metal band I suppose and they certainly influenced both Waylander and Cruachan, but coming from Ireland I’m sure both Keith [Fay of Cruachan] and myself thought we had a divine right to play Folk Metal, especially as we’re both influenced by the Horslips as well. ”

—Ciaran O'Hagan of Waylander[1]

The origins of Celtic metal can be traced to the earliest known exponent of folk metal, the English band Skyclad. Their "ambitious" and "groundbreaking" debut album The Wayward Sons of Mother Earth was released in 1990[2] with the song "The Widdershins Jig" acclaimed as "particularly significant" and "a certain first in the realms of Metal".[3] This debut album made an impact on a young Keith Fay who had formed a Tolkien-inspired black metal band by the name of Minas Tirith.[4] Skyclad would go on to develop a "now legendary folky jig style" with a "prominent inclusion of the fiddle playing lead lines and melodies normally associated with the lead guitar parts of most other rock bands."[5]

Inspired by the music of Skyclad, Keith Fay set out to combine black metal with the folk music of Ireland.[4] He formed the Irish band Cruachan in 1992 with a demo recording released in 1993.[6] Like Waylander, Keith Fay also credits the Irish rock band Horslips as a "huge influence on Cruachan," further noting that "what they were doing in the 70's is the equivalent of what we do now."[4] Cruachan's debut album Tuatha Na Gael was released in 1995 and the band has since been acclaimed as having "gone the greatest lengths of anyone in their attempts to expand" the genre of folk metal.[7] With a specific focus on Celtic music and the use of Celtic mythology in their lyrics, Cruachan's style of folk metal is known today as Celtic metal.[8]

Parallel to Cruachan, the black metal act Primordial also released a demo recording in 1993 and "found themselves heralded as frontrunners in the burgeoning second-wave black metal movement."[9] Irish music plays "a very big role" in Primordial but in "a dark and subtle way" through the chords and timings.[10] The band has since "established themselves as one of the most unique sounding bands in the folk-meets-black metal field."[11]

The year 1993 also saw the formation of Waylander.[12] With vocalist Ciaran O'Hagan fronting the group, they released a demo recording in 1995. A debut album Reawakening Pride Once Lost was unveiled in 1998. O'Hagan notes that it was a coincidence that "Primordial, Cruachan and Waylander sprang up within little more than a year of each other."[1] Since then a few other bands from Ireland have emerged to perform Celtic metal including Geasa[8] and Mael Mórdha.[1]

Since the turn of the millennium, the genre has expanded and many bands beyond the shores of Ireland can be found today performing Celtic metal. This includes Eluveitie from Switzerland,[13] Mägo de Oz[14] from Spain, Elvenking from Italy,[15] Suidakra from Germany[16] and Tuatha de Danann from Brazil.[17]

Despite the Irish origins of the genre, Celtic metal is not known to be popular in Ireland. Ciaran O'Hagan of Waylander notes that while "Primordial are Ireland’s biggest Metal band in terms of sales and international profile" the band would be "lucky to sell much more than 500 copies of their albums in their own country or pull more than 300 punters to a gig."[1] Bands in the genre have experienced a more enthusiastic reception elsewhere with Mägo de Oz notably experiencing strong chart success in their native Spain, Mexico and South America.[18]

[edit] Characteristics

Similar to its parent genre of folk metal, the music of Celtic metal is a diverse collection with bands pursuing different subgenres of heavy metal music. While bands such as Primordial and Suidakra ply their trade with the more extreme subgenres of black or death metal,[11][16] other groups like Mägo de Oz and Elvenking prefer a more traditional or power metal sound.[14][15] The one common element is a shared interest in incorporating Celtic music into heavy metal.

Many bands in the genre enhance their sound with the use of a folk instrument. The fiddle is used by such bands as Mägo de Oz,[18] Elvenking,[19] Eluveitie[20] and Tuatha de Danann.[21] The tin whistle and flute can be found in such bands as Cruachan,[6] Waylander[12] and Eluveitie.[20]

[edit] List of bands

This is an incomplete list, which may never be able to satisfy certain standards for completeness.
Revisions and sourced additions are welcome.
Band Country Formed Notes
Aes Dana France 1994 [22]
Cruachan Ireland 1992 [8]
Eluveitie Switzerland 2002 [23]
Geasa Ireland 1994 [8]
Mael Mordha Ireland 1998 [24]
Mägo de Oz Spain 1989 [14]
Primordial Ireland 1991 [25][26]
Suidakra Germany 1994 [16][27]
Tuatha de Danann Brazil 1995 [17]
Waylander Northern Ireland 1993 [8][28]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d Dicks, Britton. Interview with Ciaran O'Hagan of Waylander. Metalcoven.com. Retrieved on 2008-03-20.
  2. ^ Rivadavia, Ed. AMG The Wayward Sons of Mother Earth Review. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2008-03-10.
  3. ^ Sharpe-Young, Garry. Rockdetector Skyclad Biography. Rockdetector. Retrieved on 2008-03-10.
  4. ^ a b c Bolther, Giancarlo. Interview with Keith Fay of Cruachan. Rock-impressions.com. Retrieved on 2008-03-10.
  5. ^ Boylin, Alex. Skyclad Biography. Metalstorm.ee. Retrieved on 2008-03-10.
  6. ^ a b Sharpe-Young, Garry. Rockdetector Cruachan Biography. Rockdetector. Retrieved on 2008-03-10.
  7. ^ Rivadavia, Eduardo. AMG Cruachan. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2008-03-10.
  8. ^ a b c d e Bowar, Chad. What Is Heavy Metal?. About.com. Retrieved on 2008-03-11.
  9. ^ Monger, James Christopher. AMG Primordial. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2008-03-12.
  10. ^ S., Mike. Interview with Alan Nemtheanga of Primordial. Deadtide.com. Retrieved on 2008-03-12.
  11. ^ a b Young, James. Primordial Concert Review. Live4metal.com. Retrieved on 2008-03-12.
  12. ^ a b Sharpe-Young, Garry. Rockdetector Waylander. Rockdetector. Retrieved on 2008-03-12.
  13. ^ Bowar, Chad. Interview with Chrigel Glanzmann of Eluveitie. About.com. Retrieved on 2008-03-17.
  14. ^ a b c Bowar, Chad. A Costa Da Morte Review. About.com. Retrieved on 2008-03-14.
  15. ^ a b Henderson, Alex. Winter's Wake Review. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2008-03-17.
  16. ^ a b c Bowar, Chad. Caledonia Review. About.com. Retrieved on 2008-03-13.
  17. ^ a b Ngolls, Josh. Tingaralatingadun Review. Tartareandesire.com. Retrieved on 2008-03-13.
  18. ^ a b Sharpe-Young, Garry. Rockdetector Mägo de Oz. Rockdetector. Retrieved on 2008-03-17.
  19. ^ Sharpe-Young, Garry. Rockdetector Elvenking. Rockdetector. Retrieved on 2008-03-17.
  20. ^ a b Sharpe-Young, Garry. Rockdetector Eluveitie. Rockdetector. Retrieved on 2008-03-13.
  21. ^ Sharpe-Young, Garry. Rockdetector Tuatha de Danann. Rockdetector. Retrieved on 2008-03-17.
  22. ^ Azevedo, Pedro. Formors review. Chronicles of Chaos. Retrieved on 2008-05-31.
  23. ^ Bowar, Chad. Slania review. About.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-31.
  24. ^ Primordial, Grand Magus, Mael Mórdha London Underworld 2/2/8 Review. Live4metal.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-31.
  25. ^ S., Mike. Interview with Alan Nemtheanga of Primordial. Deadtide.com. Retrieved on 2008-03-13.
  26. ^ Kennedy, Niall. Storm Before Calm review. Metal-Observer.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-31.
  27. ^ Melzer, Alexander. Interview with Arkadius of Suidakra. Metal-observer.com. Retrieved on 2008-04-06.
  28. ^ Irish Metal Legends WAYLANDER Stage Mini-Reunion At DAY OF DARKNESS Festival. Blabbermouth.net (2005-07-13). Retrieved on 2008-05-31.
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