This is the third album from Scottish folk black metal band Cnoc an Tursa.
Brought into the world by current/ex-members of Barshasketh and Ruadh, A Cry for the Slain contains 44 minutes of folk-enriched black metal. The promo blurb states that this is for fans of Primordial, Winterfylleth, Saor, and Forefather, so with that in mind, it’s time to turn to Cnoc an Tursa.
A Cry for the Slain is a well-crafted, professionally wrought album. The style is a blackened one, with abundant melody, atmosphere, and folk influences. It’s well-written, and has a satisfying sound, making it an easy record to listen to. The music is song-based, with memorable riffs, bright melody, and hook-filled songwriting. It’s atmospheric with this though, allowing the songs to benefit from both style and substance.
A Cry for the Slain‘s underpinning core is one of classic black metal, inspired by the more polished aspects of the second wave sound. Cnoc an Tursa then update this to be inclusive of the atmospheric and folk-based styles that have come since, enhancing the music with folk melodies and other elements. In addition to this, the band incorporate heavy/folk metal influences into their sound, be this in a mood-focused intro, a section of evocative worldbuilding, a symphonic edge, or a stirring solo.
Taken as a whole, A Cry for the Slain is a well-rounded album. It’s a collection of songs that are delivered with contemporary skill and experience, as the band channel Scotland’s history into their engaging music.
There is a lot to like here, and Cnoc an Tursa have potentially quite a wide appeal, relatively speaking. In addition to the bands mentioned at the start of this review, it could easily be argued that A Cry for the Slain is more than suitable for fans of a range of bands, everyone from Blackbraid to The Spirit to Borknagar to Korpiklaani and more.
This is a strong, really enjoyable album, one that should be embraced by fans of folk black metal worldwide.
Very highly recommended.
Wonderbox Metal 