1. As the Deities Clash
2. Walk with Honour
3. Beyond the Ninth Wave
4. Galloping Gaels
5. To dine in the Otherworld
6. Usurpers of our Legacy
7. Taker of Heads
8. Elemental Chaos
9. Brū Na Bōinne
LINEUP:
Saul McMichael (guitars)
David Briggs (Folk instruments)
Den Ferran (drums)
Ciaran O’Hagan (vocals)
Michael Proctor (bass)
Release Date: 07 July 2008
Label:
Listenable Records
As The Deities Clash
Lost within the dust of ages
Naught but Mythic mist remain
Forsaken is the ancient wisdom
Tossed aside, extinguished flame
The height of a hill was ablaze
Brighst beacons shone like the Sun
Colours, resplendent
As Deities Clash
Soft waves of a strong arm, imported through time
Diverse were the Titles bestowed upon their gods
(The) Pantheon of the Deities clash softly yet brief
My Gods, hear my call
My Gods, hear my cry
On the Plain of Maigh Tuire, out to the West
An Otherwordly spiritual affray
(The) coming of bronze new mystical arts
Ascendance realigned, redefined
Tara Cruachan. Emain Macha
Beacons of an age born of Jron
The Goddess of Battle in triumph
Sating the Blood God’s desire
Primordial need for Gods in the Sky
Psyche of mankind drawn to the Tribe
Who has the magic to invoke Faith
Undiying loyalty never betrayed
Bridge:
I swear by the blade
Drew my blood to the flame
(Un)till the sky falls in
May my Honour remain.
Adorned with ancient symbols
(Of) Mother Earthэs might
Spirit Guards protecting
(My) defence as I fight
Chorus:
Walk with Honour as your only guide
Will of Iron, forged in fire
Crimson vows, freely sworn
Pledge thy heart (and) blade to the Land.
This spherical miracle for our lives do we owe
Why then do we treat Mother Earth as our foe?
Slow asphyxiation (as) the decades roll by
De – forestation holes in the sky
The scales now are weighted, ready to fall
Peasant mentality, stagnating in thrall.
Look safe to your own, the dark days draw near
Hold fast to your valour, no regrets or fear.
I hear noises on the wind
Which bear no meaning
I see Honour mocked
By those of no import.
If strength of will
Is weakness, so be it
Where dark clouds do assemble
I am the Storm.
Beyond The Ninth Wave
My spirit snaps, despair engulfs
Like a bloody brooch, my shame is borne
When weakness called, I opened the door
Betraying all (that) I once held so dear
Honour denied, I still cannot believe
Banishment invoked, cast out to sea
Beyond the ninth wave
Cast adrift, exiled soul
Beyond the ninth wave
Stripped of honour, stripped of Clan
Broken lands, Macha betrayed
My Clan and my kin, they all bear my shame
I give up my life to the God of the sea
Mannanan Mc Lir my fate lies with thee
Depart on the tide (as) banishment beckons
Trice three years in torment I face
Darkest of days, stalking my stride
Resultant fall, all consuming pride
Great deeds, I now seek
Focus supreme
Redemption I crave
Mortality engaged
Kick heels to ones haunches, adrenaline rising
Thundering lightning, tolling hard on your Reign
Rolling the gradients, heart and hoof beat as one
(Life’s) trial of endurance; Champion’s portion I claim
Quick to the fight, yet swiftly to love
Questing the knowledge seems barely enough
Which one is mighty, the pen or the Sword?
(In) tandem assault, we seek our reward
Onwards!
I fear not my death, my soul will endure
Eternal flame burning with passion most pure
Preserving Tradition through story and song
Inscribed in memory, spiritual and strong
Galloping Gaels
Galloping Gaels
Abu! Abu!
Galloping Gaels
Galloping Gaels
Abu! abu!
Galloping Gaels, Galloping Gaels
Abu! Abu!
Death casts it’s shadow in raven black
Truth appears whiter, whiter than snow
Thoughts carried forth on a swift wind
Insight cuts sharper, sharper than steel
Leap like the salmon, with vigour and zest
Talents inherent the Gods did bequest
Strive to be heroes, create Legends anew
Ancestral reverence, olden ways renewed
Enchantment dwells still
Where the Oak, Ash and Thorn do thrive
A cold bead of sweat slithering
Dread touch ices my spine
In the half light silhouettes shimmering
Soft voices magnified on the breeze
What did I see, did my eyes deceive?
Glowing visions, I hardly believe
Dark shrouded shadows distort what I can see
An eruption of presence enveloping me
(With) arrow true insight, emotions embraced
Beat as one with the pulse of the Earth
To Dine in the Otherworld
Realm of the Sidhe
To Dine in the Otherworld
To dine is never to leave
To Dine in the Otherworld
Abode of the shining ones
To Dine in the Otherworld
To Dine is never to leave
To Dine in the Otherworld
Earthly bonds unchained
To Dine in the Otherworld
To dine is never to leave
Put aside all ego, all arrogance of man
Lest the beings of a higher plain
Involve you in their games
A fey and fickle people they
In the eyes of mortal man
Immortal understandings
Beyond our space and time
Spawned from the mountains
The rivers and the vales
All pales to insignificance
(the) mortality of man
Usurpers Of Our Legacy
With two tongues of silver, honeyed, sweetened with gold
Claim now, compensation, for the lies weýve been sold
The mystery disperses, the myth falls away
Thus, ending the dark days, when the clergy held sway
Hearts and minds of the people
Ensnared long ago
Strangers to the energies
Which no longer flow
With tales of the trinity
Convincingly told
Demeaning our ways
As heathen and bold
The courts of the kings, a pulpit and a stage
Manipulation of a fractious land
Politicise, cast words of doubt
Fan the flames of discontent
Usurpers of our Legacy, Distorting Native lore
Import a creed unnatural onto our Emerald shore
Usurpers of our Legacy, demonising Ancient Gods
Plagiarise our Festivals, Foulest of all frauds
Usurpers of our Legacy, Theyýll never keep us down
Rise up, now is the time, reclaim the Pagan crown
Rise up Pagan sons and daughters
Symbolic swords held to the sky
(With the) Sun God in ascendancy
(We) illuminate hypocrisyý AAAAAriiiiise!
Gatherings don the centuries
In secret groves and vales
Patiently awaiting
Revelations, come the Dawn
Beneath a flag of union
Butchers carved and they cleaved
Carved and they cleaved, they carved, they cleaved
The tongue torn from the Nation
The goddess she grieves, the land it doth bleed
Eiriu she grieves
Eiriu she grieves, the land it doth bleed
Eiriu she grieves
As I cut you down and claim,
your empty Vessel as my prize,
In ignorance, the question
are my actions just or wise?
Propaganda, force – fed,
feel the need to feed the greed
Parasites upon our Planet,
frenzied as they feed,
Black hearts, sickening smile, stylised
Gods, utterly vile,
Shadow seekers, lords of deceit,
Currency their arsenal
Wolves dressed as sheep.
Spinning poisoned webs, alluring false comfort
(The) people blinded by the facts they cannot see
Ignorance, no longer, stays the execution
Before I take your head, you will kneel to me.
Takers of heads, decapitating sneer
Takers of heads, emanating total fear
Takers of heads, conquering the soul
Takers of heads, insatiable desire.
Your head, my trophy
Hanging high above my door
Skulls of enemy fallen
Strewn across the floor
Ever ready, ever willing
To heed the material call
March to the contest willing,
Another dance of death.
Ghastly ghoulish visions
A sea of severed heads
Bright blood dripping darkly
Pooled upon the crimson sod.
Elemental Chaos, beg upon your knees
Crushing resolve relentlessly
Mankind, will reap the bitter seed
Elemental chaos I foresee…
Hear the Earth God rumble with rage
(The) cruel whip of the wind devours all
Seas rising to touch the sky
Nature, consumed by fire
Like weeds they’ve cut the woodlands down
Terminal, our Planet’s disease
Accelerating cycles, that turn
Air, sod, flame and tide
Ignore the signs, embrace death
Kiss all, of your futures, goodbye
The web of life is frozen
Silent victim for the Sun
The ice kingdom is melting
Drowning the hopes of man
Splintering trees shock the silence
Echoes of doom in eternal winter
No Gods of mortal man here do dwell
Their frozen bones don snow white blankets
Peasants, blinded blissfully
Maggots on our dying world
Why can’t we comprehend the mysteries
Of sun and star and stone?
Shout it out from the Hilltops
Proclaim it on the plains
The Ancient Gods will never die
Whilst we invoke their names
Waylander struck gold here. While the songs on the albums immediately preceding and following this one tend toward overlong and boring, everything comes together for them on Honour Amongst Chaos. The folk music is well integrated and catchy, the atmosphere is enthralling, and the songs are packed with a wealth of memorable passages. Serious, epic, and thought-provoking, this is the finest mixture of Irish folk music and metal out there.
The first track, ‘As the Deities Clash’, is, without exaggeration, one of the best album openers there’s ever been. Starting with a folky, atmospheric feel, the song builds up into a grandiose main riff that forms the perfect background for Ard Chieftain O’Hagan’s admittedly dime-a-dozen but appropriate bark. Then the song flows back into a sublime interlude with clean chanting, some kind of flute, and Celtic percussion that eventually gives way to a scorching rhythm leading up to the larger-than-life finale. Both the most thoughtful and most entertaining song on the album, this piece perfectly encapsulates what Honour Amongst Chaos is all about and whets the appetite for more.
Several of this album’s subsequent songs follow in the opener’s footsteps, with varied structures that mix folky passages, atmosphere that calls to mind the band’s beloved emerald isle, and black metal-inspired riffs, most of which are midpaced. The parts fade beautifully into each other, with no acoustic guitars or mandolins seeming like anything less than the exact thing the song needs at that particular moment. Each passage fits logically with the one that came before it, with none of them, except perhaps the interlude in ‘Elemental Chaos’ and the intro to ‘Bru Na Boinne’, ever lasts too long, and they range from calming, catchy folk motifs to metal riffs that scream with heathen fury. Though none of these tracks quite measure up to ‘As the Deities Clash’, a listener will be too enthralled to notice that most of them exceed the six-minute mark.
‘Galloping Gaels’ and ‘Taker of Heads’, are a separate breed of song, though. Not focused nearly as much on atmosphere or the pagan-laced folk flavor of the rest of the album, these pieces are far less varied. Having a thrashier character than the other songs, these two lend the album a bit more diversity without seeming out of place.
One of this album’s best aspects is one most people wouldn’t think to write about: the order of the tracklist. With numerous lengthy songs inhabiting this disc, it should get tiresome at some point but never does because the songs are so well-placed. The first three are folk metal in the truest sense, distinct from each other, though clearly in the same style. The album’s longest song, the excellent epic ‘To Dine in the Otherworld’, is bookended in the middle of the album by the two thrashier pieces. From there, it’s not too tough to get through the remaining two songs even if each one contains a section that’s a bit less than thrilling. And if you have a version with the bonus track, ‘Reborn to the Fight’, a cleverly-titled remake of a song from their first album, provides a rollicking, insanely catchy folk melody that brings the album to a more lighthearted end.
With only a couple of dull spots in this hour-long journey, Honour Amongst Chaos is one of the finest examples of folk metal and certainly the best Ireland has ever produced (theses guys are from Ulster, the part of Ireland that’s still under British control, technically making them citizens of the UK). This release is an amazing balancing act, packed with ferocious metal goodness and touches of ancient musical traditions that evoke a somber mood. This is essential for anyone seeking thoughtful, gimmick-free folk metal.
Waylander is really what folk metal is all about, and this album shows the culmination of 7 years of hard work. There is nothing I can really see overall at a fault. This album is best enjoyed listening cover to cover, as each individual song is truly amazing (except for Taker of Heads), and really flows together as a cohesive album.
The instrumentals are truly remarkable from the bass driven As the Deities Clash and To Dine in the Otherworld to the whistle powered anthem Re-born to the Fight and Bru na Boinne. The songs are evenly spaced out by middle sections of a rising storm, as in Elemental Chaos. The vocals are clear and really complete the atmosphere of the whole song, and the lyrics that accompany them are terrific.
The album also incorporates, with seaming less precision, the folk aspect. Every song is filled with a void that is filled by the flute or some other instrument that are just as much integral to the song as the guitars and drums. This to me is what sets Waylander apart from other folk metal bands, such as Forefather (who is awesome in a different style). I also enjoyed the instruments that they brought into certain songs. The bagpipes really pull together Beyond the Ninth Wave and the tribal drums perfect the intro to Walk With Honour.
This album really surprised me, as I picked it up by chance as a gift. I had listened to a few of the songs prior to receiving it, and was not particularly excited by it, but I was proved wonderfully wrong. As I said before, the album is the best when listened cover to cover, but this can be skewed by the long running time, which is something else I really enjoyed. Every song had length, so it did not feel rushed and was focused more on the story telling of the lyrics.
Bottom line, if you have ever considered listening to folk metal or even black metal, this should be at the top of your list. This album was the first time I ever listened to folk metal, and it is easily one of my all time favorite albums. It epitomizes every good aspect of the genre.
Steel string guitars ring out like a bed of solid earth beneath which a flute rises like a malevolent yet benevolent spirit. The interlay continues and rises to a crescendo before breaking down into an epic pagan hymn of thrashing guitars accompanied by mandolins, drums and bodhráns of war and vicious black metal vocals before drifting carelessly back into an atmospheric bass interlude with Ard Chieftain O’Hagan’s voice ringing over the top like a god reawakened…the closing track to the new Waylander album, “Brú Na Bóinne.” It’s hard to believe that this is a band who’s first masterpiece received a dismal 1 out of 10 in Metal Hammer UK. Waylander are a band who suffered those slings and arrows so that bands like Turisas and Ensiferum could make it big but with this new opus Waylander are back to reclaim there place at the top of the Pagan/Folk Metal pile.
This is the album that Waylander have been waiting to make for 15 years and the wait has certainly been worth it. Everything that has made Waylander distinctive in the past; the folk interludes with traditional instruments, melody, heavy guitars and intricate bass lines have all been stepped up a notch not only the best release of Waylander’s career to date but also one of this genre’s finest that puts recent releases by Moonsorrow and Korpiklani firmly in the corner. We’re even treated to some guitar harmonies which have been a rarity on previous Waylander output but what really makes this special is how the seamlessly intertwined the Folk and Metal elements are. Waylander have always straddled the border between thinking man’s Pagan Metal and a band that you can get pissed and dance like an eejit to. Of course I’m sure the band don’t want to discourage such tomfoolery but the fact that nothing about this album sounds forced or contrived means that they are now firmly in the realm of the higher echelons of this kind of music along with the likes of Falkenbach and Bathory.
If any criticism can be made it is that the finest track from “Honour Amongst Chaos”, the closing epic “Brú Na Bóinne” utilises too many folk instruments (tin whistle, concert flute, uilleann pipes, bodhrán and mandolin) to feasibly be played live simultaneously by the producer/multi-instrumentalist Dave Briggs. However there is still another 10 tracks here, “Walk With Honour”, “As Deities Clash” and the 10 minute epic “To Dine in the Otherworld” being standout moments that will make great additions to the band’s already stellar live set. It may have taken 7 years for it to materialise but Waylander are back and if this album is anything to go by, this is just a new beginning for them.
Originally printed in Northern Blaze zine issue #1; reproduced here with express permission of the editor.
