Search - Cruachan :: Tuatha Na Gael

Decent Start

sliphsc | VA USA | 03/27/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Although Tuatha Na Gael was Cruachan's first major release, I purchased The Middle Kingdom and Folk-Lore first. The other two albums were so good, I figured that there would be no doubt that I should purchase their first release. Unfortunately, there were a few differences from the two newer albums that I did not like. First, the recording quality is below average. Now, I do realize that this fact should be expected since it was Cruachan's first release, but that doesn't keep it from getting on my nerves while listening to the CD. Second, I did not realize that Karen Gilligan didn't join the band until the release of The Middle Kingdom, so as a result, there are no female vocals at all except on the bonus tracks (which have even worse sound quality than the rest of the CD). Of course, these female vocals are done by a different singer who does not sound as good as Gilligan. Third, the style is significantly different from Cruachan's other two albums. Many of the same instruments are present, but the focus is more on the metal spectrum rather than the folk spectrum. As a result, the majority of the songs are very fast-paced and include a large amount of screaming. This fact could be expected from a metal band, but I was not expecting it from Cruachan, whose other releases are so different from Tuatha Na Gael. Finally, the band did include the lyrics with the CD, but not the explanation of what the songs mean like they did with their other CDs. Of course, this is a very small gripe, but for someone who is interested in the Irish folklore, it was a dissapointment. My suggestion is to buy the other two albums first, and if you find yourself to be a die-hard fan, pick this one up later. On the other hand, if you listen to stricly metal and nothing lighter, you may enjoy this album better than the other two."

PERFECT!

Dante | Valinhos, SP BRAZIL | 09/23/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's so hard to me write a review when I just love an album and think it perfect. No problems or bad points to tell about, the only thing I can do is to tell how amazing it is.

An extreme Metal with harsh vocals and fast guitars mixed with an extreme beautfull irish folk sonority.

The album express so unequal felings as happiness and hate.

Those who enjoy sofisticated and extreme music will love it."