Cruachan - 'The Witch' (Official HQ Audio)

Have you seen the dark haired woman
move with elegance and flair
All the men be held in her spell
Though she does not know nor care
For she is the Pagan forest witch
And in her beauty there be a snare

Among the oaks she calls her home
The forest floor she calls her bed
From the river wild she takes a draught
And from all of life is fed
She needs nothing from the modern world
For to the land and earth is wed

Tall and graceful grows her body
An earthly rule does she possess
Her lips as red as a bloodied rose
Her face shows beauty and finesse
Yet her clothes be worn and tattered
With stains of earth upon her dress

For the longest time she has here dwelled
Learning forest spells and more
She can cure all ails and troubles
With blossoms and herbal lore
She’s a child of nature and the wild
Yet like a mother we adore

Woe to those who try to harm her
Those who would think to violate
For an ancient magic dwells within
A terrible vigour she would create
So take your passions elsewhere
Lest you suffer this dreadful fate

But to those that show her love
A primal passion shared in lust
Then fear her not, this forest nymph
Her soul to you she will entrust
For an eternity would her loyalty live
Till all of men be dust

Πριν από τριάντα ένα 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, τρία (3) singles, μία συλλογή, ένα (1) ep και ένα (1) Boxed set. Προ τριετίας ξεκίνησαν συνεργασία με την δισκογραφική εταιρεία Despotz records με προοπτική να "βγει" το ένατο (9ο) full length album τους, το οποίο φέρει τον τίτλο "The Living and the Dead" και αναμένεται στα τελειώματα του πρώτου ανοιξιάτικου μήνα...

Δελτίο τύπου: «‘The Reaper’, the third single from Irish folk-metal pioneers Cruachan upcoming ninth album ‘The Living and the Dead’, is a wonderful blend of the band’s hardest metal riffs and hauntingly beautiful folk and traditional instruments. Featuring Sinead Richards, she's only 14 year old and daughter of our producer.

"She is a huge talent and aded such orchestral heft to this song that we can't imagine how it would sound without her contribution. The song 'The Reaper' is about my dad, who sadly passed away in 2020. There was a point when Audrey was layering the strings section for this song, I was listening with Joe and our producer Mick and it literally brought me to tears.

I turned to Joe and all I could manage to say was 'wow'. I did my dad proud with that song but I think we did all of our fans proud with this entire album. I could talk about many other parts in many other tracks but you'll hear it yourself and see what I mean. I achieved my goal. I created the best Cruachan album to date." // Keith Fay

Ireland’s Cruachan have enjoyed a storied career since they took those tentative first steps back in 1992. As frontman and sole original member Keith Fay elaborates;

‘When I started writing music as a 13-year-old, I had no idea that I was laying the foundations for what would become a brand-new genre, Folk Metal, or that I was planting the seeds of what would be one of the longest running Irish metal bands in history.

There have been many ups and downs over the last thirty years, band members have come and gone, record deals have come and gone. We've played some of the biggest metal festivals on the planet, travelled to more countries than most Irish bands would ever dream possible. And it has all led to this - our ninth album, 'The Living and the Dead'.’

With the deal signed, talk obviously turned to new music. ‘The new album only existed in my head but he still pushed me to get a single out. We recorded The Hawthorn and the reaction was immense.’

Buoyed by the amazing reaction to the single, Fay recruited new members for Cruachan in ‘record time’.

‘Joe Farrell had already re-joined Cruachan on bass at the start of 2020, apart from being one of my oldest friends, he was also my rock during this time. Tom (Woodlock), one of the best metal drummers in Ireland, joined us early in 2020. I've known Dave Quinn for many years so was a relief that I didn't need to audition for guitarists, he came in and was a natural fit for the band.

I did advertise for a folk instrumentalist and had a few interesting applications. Audrey sent me a mail with some links to her playing. My jaw literally dropped and I recruited her right away. She has been playing violin since the age of 4, the quality she brings to every aspect of Cruachan is beyond compare, from our folky stuff to our classical stuff, it has all just moved to a level I never thought possible.’ »

Band: Cruachan
Country of origin: Ireland
Location: Dublin, Dublin
Formed in: 1993
Genre: Celtic Folk/Black Metal
Lyrical themes: Celtic folklore, Irish history/mythology, Tolkien, Anti-Christianity, Paganism
Years active: 1992-1993 (as Minas Tirith), 1993-1997, 1999-present

Audio: "The Witch"
Album: "The Living and the Dead"
Type: Full length
Release date: March 24th, 2023
Label: Despotz Records
Format: CD, 2 vinyls, Digital

Track listing:
01. The Living
02. The Queen
03. The Hawthorn
04. The Harvest
05. The Festival
06. The Ghost
07. The Crow
08. The Reaper
09. The Children
10. The Changeling
11. The Witch
12. The Dead

Band members:
Keith Fay - Vocals, Guitars, Banjo, Bouzouki, Mandolin, Keyboard, Bodhrán, Songwriting, Lyrics
Joe Farrell - Bass
Tom Woodlock - Drums, Percussion, Hand clapping
David Quinn - Guitars
Audrey Trainor - Violin, Viola, Cello

Guest/Session:
Kim Dylla - Vocals (backing)
Vreth - Vocals (lead) (track 6)
Jon Campling - Vocals (backing) (tracks 7, 10)
Geoffroy Dell'Aria - Bagpipes, Tin whistle, Low whistle
Camillus Hiney - Accordion (track 5)
Stu ‘La Rage’ Dixon - Guitar solo (track 11)
John Fay - Tin whistle (track 9)
Sinead Richards - Euphonium (track 8)
Nella - Vocals (lead) (track 10)

Miscellaneous staff:
Michael Richards - Recording, Producer, Mixing
Vagelis Petikas - Cover art