Out of Ashes

When I hear a band labelled “folk metal/Celtic rock”, I think of a somewhat smooth blend of metal and folk, in song structure and/or instrumentation. On this record though, Clanrock offer instead a regrettably lumpy mix of two different styles. They can do the Celticized metal stuff quite well, but there’s also half this album that’s just boring, bog-standard rock both lyrically and musically.

On the good side, Clanrock beautifully captures that uniquely Celtic ability to sing about morbid material and still put it to a catchy, almost danceable tune. Their cover of the WWI-era Irish song “Foggy Dew” feels very authentic. The flute and electric violin gently introduce the lament, a melody tastefully mirrored by the guitar and supported by a slowly rising drum march. And then there’s “Bullet, Fire or Lance” which is at once heartbreaking and bouncy, with lyrics about losing a child to miscarriage. Yet the oft-repeated flute and guitar instrumental bridge manage to make this still an upbeat song.

I’m also very impressed with the two songs in their native Luxembourgish (a Germanic language, not Celtic, but still fits the music). Maybe the shawm replacing the flute helps with this small cultural shift, as it’s a more continental instrument. Anyway, “Essegkrou” and “Rommelpott” are the most consistently metal songs on here, while still having that fun burst of folkish energy. I feel like the singer is more at ease in his first language, whereas in English his emotional tone sometimes doesn’t match what the song should be aiming for. On the whole the singer reminds me, in both his better and weaker qualities, of Cruachan’s Keith Fay.

Where Clanrock will lose your interest is in the more standard rock songs. Good lord, they can get dumbass and generic in a hurry! Okay, “Between the World” is a kind of interesting song with a pleasingly dark atmosphere and horror lyrics, though almost lifted verbatim from “Black Sabbath”. But “Stop the Feeling” is a wimpy breakup song with pathetic overwrought vocals, and “Priest” is another done-to-death anti-Church song where the titular priest’s verse actually contains the words “hey, give me your money, give me your time”, which is rhymed with “all your preachings are bloody lies”. The melody is also far too upbeat for the supposedly serious subject matter. In other places I mentioned, that combo works; not this time. There’s also “Time Waster”, err sorry that’s “Time Seller” - 11 minutes of wannabe philosophical “you only get one life” crapola. Please.

Clanrock really need to stick to their Celtic and Luxembourgish cultural side, both musically and lyrically, and leave the everyday rock stuff to somebody else. They’re a good folk metal band.