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The Irish metal druids are back again with their long-awaited fourth full-length album. "Pagan" is in all aspects the most complex and complete album this unique band has produced so far. The mixture of metal and folk music has been taken to the extreme and the result is wonderful. The harsh black metal roots of the band can be heard very well in the title track where it is coupled with a contrasting clean voice belonging to the band's female vocalist Karen Gilligan which fits perfectly into this unusual form of music. I have read reviews complaining about the bad production of this album. On the contrary I think this has been done on purpose as to give the music a somewhat rougher edge, especially in the black metal influenced sections; something that has been accomplished successfully. In all honesty the production is not bad at all although they have not strived for that sterile, modern sound which is obviously the current trend in metal. Lyrically Cruachan continue their journey into their own country's rich history and mythology and this makes the band even more unique. Those of you who found the previous album too soft will be satisfied now because "Pagan" contains some of the heaviest music the band has written so far but there are also several slow folk tunes. Now that Skyclad is more or less dwelling in the shadows of their glorious past, Cruachan is even more needed to keep the folk metal genre alive. Karen Gilligan is a very important component in the band machinery and her voice has quite a lot of attitude, something that she should continue to explore in the future. Her voice and way of singing is very atypical compared to other female vocalists in metal. The other end of her vocal capacity - here shown in the light singing in "Lament For The Wild Geese" - is highly impressive as well. One of the highlights of 2004 so far. Irish folk music has never been so alive and full of energy. There are a couple of tracks that could have been left out ("1014 A.D." and the horribly annoying "A Thousand Years") but other than that "Pagan" is a very consistent and enjoyable disc that will spend many spins in the stereo. Cruachan do have the tendency to repeat themselves but if you have fallen in love with previous releases you will not be disappointed this time either.
| Tracklist |
| 1. Michael Collins |
| 2. Pagan |
| 3. The Gael |
| 4. Ard Rì Na Heireann |
| 5. The March To Cluain Tairbh |
| 6. Viking Slayer |
| 7. 1014 A.d. |
| 8. Some Say The Devil Is Dead |
| 9. Summoning Of The Sidhe |
| 10. A Thousand Years |
| 11. Lament For The Wild Geese |
| 12. Erinsong |
| 13. The Fall Of Gondolin |
: 52.37
| Buy other Cruachan albums |
