Short Reviews [Dun Ringill - 2023 - "150. Where The Old Gods Play. Act 1"]

I must confess the only reason I agreed to even look at this album was due to the band name, as every Jethro Tull fan is aware of the Iron Age hill fort on the island of Skye, as it was within walking distance of Ian Anderson’s home when he owned the Strathaird estate, and he wrote a song about the fort which appeared on ‘Stormwatch’. I was hoping the band would include some of the mystical elements I have always associated with Skye, and the cover certainly provided me with some clues as to what the music was going to be like inside and I was not disappointed. This is the third album from the Swedish band, and incorporates Nordic folk, doom and progressive metal, and not only that but is part of a double album concept (the next part comes out next year). The story, based in Scotland in early 1900, centres around the manipulation of the church with a priest whose secret agenda only reveals itself at the end and the band have already been in contact with film producers about the possibility of turning the story into a movie as well. Formed in 2017, all the band have had experience in other outfits and the current line-up is Thomas Eriksson, vocals (Intoxicate, Ex-Grotesque and Doomdogs), Neil Grant, drums (Ex- End Of Level Boss and Raar), Patrik Andersson Winberg, bass (Ex-The Order Of Israfel and Doomdogs), Jens Floren, guitar, also in Lommi and ex-live guitarist for Dark Tranquillity), Tommy Stegemann, guitar, (Ex-Silverhorse), and Patric Grammann, guitar, (Ex-Southern Festival Train and Neon Leon). There is a real togetherness in the band, and the use of some additional guests in Per Wiberg (keyboards on “the Parrish”) and Sara Uneback (violin on “Nathaniel's Hymn” and intro to “The Devil Wears a Papal Tiara”) has allowed them to lift the overall feeling even more. There is a darkness within this, little light, and a feeling of being almost smothered by the emotional blackness which covers everything. During “Blood of the Lord” we are taken in a very different style with picked guitar and vocals which are spoken by the priest, which somehow makes everything feel even darker and more compelling. There is a huge depth within this album, the feeling that the listener is only ever touching on the meanings within, as there is so much going on both musically and within the lyrics that one can totally understand why they had to make this a double set as there is no way to contain everything they are attempting to achieve in just one. I may have come to this band out of curiosity due to their name, but I stayed for their sheer presence, and am very much looking forward to the conclusion.