CRUACHAN “Blood For The Blood God” /2LP/

The seventh full-length studio album by Irish Celtic Folk/Black Metal band.
Band’s most powerful offering to date, and quite possible Cruachan’s strongest album in their already quite lengthy career!
Cruachan has created a record that fits in perfectly with what you would expect from such a release: it has an epic build-up of lyrics and guitar solos, yet created around a very easy-listenable and catchy frame, which goes for all of the many impressively played instruments. It is this organic feel and authentic package with the lyrics going hand in hand with the music, which sets the band apart from most of their peers and the conviction is palpable.
"Blood For The Blood God" is the second part of the ‘blood’ trilogy begun with 2011’s "Blood On The Black Robe" (a record, which saw the band return to their Black Metal roots), that contains several stories and myths pertaining to Celtic history, delivered in a classical Folk Metal fashion (which includes several Folk instruments; in this case an Irish bagpipe, flutes, whistles and violins).
Without a doubt one of the best Folk Metal albums of 2014, and it is good to see the band still going strong and pushing their envelope after all these years!
Gatefold double vinyl release includes bonus disc, which features:
- re-recording of a song with the same title from the “Pagan” album 2004 (Track 1);
- demo versions of songs from the “Blood For The Blood God” album (Tracks 2, 3, 4, with track 3 and 4 presented here under their working title);
- songs from the “I Am Warrior” demo (Tracks 5, 6, 7 - all three were re-recorded and used on the 2011 “Blood On The Black Robe” album).
Trollzorn Records, 2014 (TZ 051-2). Made in Germany. First press.


Tracklist:

Side A
1. Crom Cruach 01:06
2. Blood for the Blood God 05:49
3. The Arrival of the Fir Bolg 06:27
4. Beren and Luthien 05:47
5. The Marching Song of Fiach Mac Hugh 03:22
6. Prophecy 04:52
Side B
7. Gae Bolga 04:04
8. The Sea Queen of Connaught 07:27
9. Born for War (The Rise of Brian Boru) 05:52
10. Perversion, Corruption and Sanctity - Part 1 05:51
11. Perversion, Corruption and Sanctity - Part 2 04:32
Running time: 55:09 min.

Side C
1. Pagan (2014 Version) 04:19
2. Prophecy (Demo) 04:52
3. Sea Queen (Demo) 06:30
Side D
4. Marching Song (Demo) 03:28
5. I Am Warrior (Demo) 05:12
6. Pagan Hate (Demo) 05:13
7. Voyage of Bran (Demo) 04:18
Running time: 33:52 min.


Samples: https://cruachan1.bandcamp.com