![News Added Jan 27, 2023 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 […]](https://hasitleaked.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/CruachanTheLivingAndTheDead-320x320.jpg "Cruachan : The Living And The Dead")
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.”
The band celebrated their 30th anniversary last year with an invitation to submit a song to be considered for Ireland’s 2023 Eurovision song contest entry. Whilst the band weren’t ultimately successful, it did help remind people that Cruachan were very much back.
“From the opening blast of 'The Living' to the final lament of 'The Dead', The Living And The Dead is everything you want from Cruachan and more. 12 tracks of blistering riffs, magnificent melodies, and bewitchment.” - Stu 'La Rage' Dixon / Venom
A man whose vision and passion for his band has never wavered in the ensuing three decades, Cruachan’s place in, not only in metal history, but that of Ireland’s musical landscape, has been hard earned and hard fought. But Fay was always confident that he and the band would always deliver. “This album had to be good. No, it had to be better than good. This had to be the best Cruachan album ever made. I faced a decision in 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, when three band members left the band. ‘Do I call it a day? or do I press on with the mammoth task of replacing everyone’. There was no real decision to be made, I worked way too hard over the years to allow Cruachan to fizzle out. I had been writing some of the best music of my career in recent years. I secured a record deal with a label (Sweden’s Despotz Records) that understood exactly what Cruachan and my vision is.”
“From the uplifting excitement and energy of track one, The Living, this album grabs your heart and mind then drags them on a fantastic journey through haunting and foreboding stories put to sublimely beautiful folk and aggressive metal, constantly interweaving until we reach.... ‘The Dead' - Jon Campling / Actor (Harry Potter, Final Fantasy)
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.”
“It was a pleasure to be a part of this project, the fusion of heavy metal and folk music on this album is furious, organic, and natural. Folk metal fans are in for a treat.” - Camillus Hiney / The Fureys
New line-up in place, and a clutch of songs Fay felt were among the strongest he’d ever written for the band, the time came to enter the studio to work on what would become The Living And The Dead. “Finally, in April 2022, we entered Trackmix studios to start recording. The quality and maturity of our new material was obvious right away. There have always been elements of classical music in Cruachan's material but I explored this a lot more on some of the new songs. The honesty and credibility in the finished songs takes my breath away. 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.”
“This album has everything from groovy death to the folkiest of metals! If you're a true folker then this album is for you!” - Mathias 'Vreth' Lillmans / Finntroll
After a few tumultuous years band leader Keith Fay observes; "A number of long-term members chose to leave the band, but that prompted a time of rebirth for the band and it has only been a positive thing." Despite the upheaval behind the scenes, one thing has never faltered; and that is Keith’s passion for folk and metal music, and Cruachan’s unique way of bringing the two together.
Cruachan are:
Keith Fay – Vocals, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Banjo, Bouzouki, Mandolin, Keyboard, Bodhrán
Audrey Trainor – Violin, Viola, Cello
Dave Quinn – Electric Guitar
Joe Farrell – Bass
Tom Woodlock – Drums, Percussion, Hand Clapping
Additional Musicians:
Kim Dylla – Backing Vocals
Nella – Lead Vocal (The Changeling)
Mathias ‘Vreth’ Lillmåns – Lead Vocal (The Ghost)
Jon Campling – Backing Vocals (The Crow, The Changeling)
Geoffrey Dell’Aria – Bagpipes, Tin Whistle, Low Whistle
Camillus Hiney – Accordion (The Festival)
Stu ‘La Rage’ Dixon – Guitar solo (The Witch)
John Fay – Tin whistle (The Children)
Sinead Richards – Euphonium (The Reaper)
