Hailing from Falkirk, black/folk metal outfit Cnoc An Tursa (meaning Hill of the Standing Stone) have been channelling the essence of Scotland's history, landscape, and mythology into song since 2006. Their debut full‑length, The Giants Of Auld (2013), thrust them into the public eye, followed in 2017 by their sophomore album, The Forty Five. Then the wheels of life turned, as they so often do, and eight long years passed without a new release. Now, at last, the silence has been shattered. The Scottish bards return not only with a new album, but perhaps the most powerful and emotive collection of songs they have ever crafted: A Cry For The Slain.
From the stirring pride and passion of "Na Fir Ghorma" to the reflection and release of "The Nine Maidens Of Dundee", Cnoc An Tursa lead the listener on an enthralling journey through Scottish folklore. Each vivid track conjures weeping banshees, shapeshifting temptresses, mysterious giants, and maiden‑devouring dragons. Blasting black metal, like a howling tempest, intertwines with evocative Gaelic melodies, while fiercely defiant vocals transport us to a realm far removed from the everyday.
"Alba In My Heart" is the first single to be lifted from A Cry For The Slain, and it stands alone as an impassioned declaration of dedication to Scotland. The song travels through different territories, as if passing over the Scottish landscape, from rocky coasts to deep lochs and sun and snow-dappled peaks. Elsewhere "Address To The Devil", inspired by the poetry of Robert Burns, begins in a dark storm of venomous black metal but builds into so much more; something layered, intense, epic, emotive and magical. The spell cast by A Cry For The Slain is potent, gripping the listener from the first note to the last. Each song is a treasure trove of imaginative, majestic soundscapes.
Mastered by Jaime Gomez Arellano (Paradise Lost, Primordial, Hexvessel, etc.), A Cry For The Slain boasts the depth and texture required to bring every tale vividly to life. Its darkly evocative artwork, created by Olga Kann (Winteria, Withered Land, Ruadh, etc.), completes a meticulously curated whole. When Apocalyptic Witchcraft unveils the triumphant return of Cnoc An Tursa on 24 April, the band will be welcomed home like conquering heroes. Link
CNOC AN TURSA - Presents First Track From Forthcoming Third Full-Length
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- Written by: Jerneja
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