Cruachan - 'The Hawthorn' (official music video)

In darkest night, witching night
Among the hawthorn-o
When the moon has come to Earth
The shepherd tends his flock

A babe in arms, the innocent cry
Among the hawthorn-o
Fire is burning in the sky
The shepherd tends his flock

Oh Youthful maid of truthful staid
Among the hawthorn-o
Tears are offered willingly to
The shepherd and his flock

The veil of death, a pauper's mask
Among the hawthorn-o
A solemn task must now transpire
The shepherd tends his flock

God is lost, love is lost
Among the hawthorn-o
The dank of time pervades the air
The shepherd tends his flock

An ancient wind disturbs the leaves
Among the hawthorn-o
There is a presence in the air
The shepherd tends his flock

A church bell peals, a branch cast forth
Among the hawthorn-o
Christ shall not receive this soul
The shepherd tends his flock

Into the ground, into the earth
Among the hawthorn-o
Life breeds life, death brings life to
The shepherd and his flock

Πριν από τριάντα έτη, το μακρινό 1992, δημιουργήθηκαν στην Ιρλανδία οι Minas Tirith. Έναν χρόνο αργότερα μετονομάσθηκαν σε Cruachan και συνεχίζουν ακάθεκτοι μέχρι τις ημέρες μας (με ένα μικρό διάλειμμα από τα μέσα του 1997 έως τον Ιανουάριο του 1999).

Μας συστήνονται κάπως έτσι:

«Cruachan were formed by Keith Fay in 1992, originally called 'Minas Tirith', the name was changed when the direction focused more on Irish history and mythology. The main defining factor for Cruachan is the fusion of Irish folk music with metal, which had never been done before.»

...και έχουν κυκλοφορήσει οκτώ (8) "ολοκληρωμένους" δίσκους, δύο (2) demos, ισάριθμα (2) singles, μία συλλογή, ένα (1) ep και ένα (1) Boxed set. Προ διετίας ξεκίνησαν συνεργασία με την δισκογραφική εταιρεία Despotz records με προοπτική να "βγει" το ένατο (9ο) full length album τους. Μέχρι τώρα η συνεργασία τους απέφερε δύο singles, το "The Hawthorn" πρόπερσι και το "The Crow" που κυκλοφόρησε προ ημερών. Εστιάζουμε στο πρώτο...

Δελτίο τύπου: «Since forming the band in 1992, it’s been Keith Fay’s singular vision that has steered the band for nearly thirty years. Appearing originally under the moniker Minas Tirith the band’s focus on Irish history and mythology prompted a change to more suitable Cruachan.

The band’s blend of Irish folk music and metal was unique and in late ’93, their demo 'Celtica' soon landed the band their first record deal with Nazguls Eyrie Productions. The first fruits of this endeavor was the band’s cult classic debut album, 'Tuatha Na Gael', which hit the shelves in 1995 to critical acclaim.

The band began to draw admiring glances from a number of bigger labels, but none suited the band’s ambition. They eventually signed with Hammerheart records and released 'The Middle Kingdom' in 1999. 'The Middle Kingdom' record saw the band make their first international live appearances.

Their third album 'Folk-lore' was produced by and featured the unmistakable vocals of The Pogues legend Shane MacGowan on 'Ride On' which was a surprise hit single in Ireland. Subsequent releases, including 'Pagan' and 'Blood on the Black Robe' saw the band join up with AFM and Candlelight records and led to Cruachan hitting some of the biggest festival stages, including; Hellfest and 70,000 Tonnes of Metal (where they became one of the few bands to ever perform three sets, one of which featured Gwar vocalist Kim Dyalla as special guest), as well as their own ‘25th Anniversary’ show in Ireland.

A track steeped in Irish folklore, 'The Hawthorn' is set in Ireland during the 1700's when the population were heavily under the influence of the Catholic church while still holding onto old Pagan beliefs. It balances the band’s love of Irish traditional folk music with uncompromising metal, a style of music the band helped develop back in the early 1990’s.

Frontman Keith Fay comments, “The Hawthorn tree is a fairy tree, you will see them all over Ireland growing in strange unlikely places where other trees would have been cut down. It is extremely unlucky to cut down a hawthorn tree else you anger the Faerie folk. In the song, the woman is taking her dead baby to bury under the tree, to give her baby to the faeries. We don't know how the baby died or what has led to this decision but she is set in her ways and the baby will not have a Christian burial”.»