The winds are blowing once again for Cnoc An Tursa.
Nine years have passed since their last release, but Rene McDonald Hill (guitar/keyboards/vocals, formerly of Saor and Fuath on tour), Alan Buchan (guitar, Ruadh) and Bryan Hamilton (drums, Ruadh, formerly of Barshasketh, and live with Saor and Fuath) are now ready to unveil their third album, A Cry for the Slain, once again with the support of Apocalyptic Witchcraft Recordings.
The ethereal melodies of Na fir Ghorma (“The Men of Ghorma” in Manx) gently fill the air, welcoming an angelic voice and then the first riffs—quite heavy yet very calm compared to those opening Caoineag carrying us away in their fury at breakneck speed. Rene’s screams are quick to follow, adding a visceral touch to a shifting yet intoxicating rhythm section, and though it sometimes feels rather cold, it never fails to captivate us at every moment, even when the acoustic break appears, letting the distortion rage once more. Dissonance and melodic touches respond naturally to one another in the most virulent passages as well as in the moments of floating, then it is with Cailleach and the Guardians of the Seven Stones that the epic tones return to a more Old School Black Metal approach, using jerky patterns but also far more majestic keyboards to counterbalance the assault, like a sort of refuge during the warlike charge. Harmonics are still present from time to time, then they come to soften the march of Baobhan Sith and its initially moderate pace, which eventually becomes much more abrupt and irregular, relying on a highly effective and hypnotic bass/drum duo, as well as dreamlike choirs. The polished solo pulls us out of our reverie, followed by a soothing break before hostilities resume, ultimately leading to Am Fear Liath Mòr, a track that is far more joyful in its opening moments, retaining this cheerful touch even as fierce vocals and aggressive patterns emerge unlike Alba in My Heart, which is rooted in heavier folk elements, as well as far more intoxicating and impressive keyboards. The slower but extremely unifying choruses will be most effective before the long final instrumental section that naturally leads to the much darker and more virulent Address to the Devil, where we find the unhealthy side of black metal that underscores the composition’s most martial elements while allowing for a magnificent, far more soothing passage, reinforcing the return of distortion for a climactic finale, where the vocalist chants that intoxicating “drag me under.” The album isn’t over yet, however, as The Nine Maidens of Dundee offers us three minutes of tranquility with keyboards that come together to gently guide us out of this fantastical universe, this time bringing our journey to a close.
Masterfully led by its trio, Cnoc An Tursa finally offers us a new chapter in the Scottish adventure that began twenty years ago. If you’re open to it, A Cry for the Slain will sweep you away on a true fantasy epic.
95/100