TUATHA DE DANANN

This Brasilian band took a long time to be added to this site. The reason was the fact that their fusion between Metal and Celtic elements caused them to be considered like most of the Epic-Metal bands like HEOL TELWEN or AES DANA, while they surely have prog roots mainly brought into the band by the frontman Braia.

This debut album contains pure celtic songs as well as epic metal things, but each of them contains prog elements and more than one song on this album has a medieval flavor more than celtic, of the kind that is usual from artists like BLACKMORE'S NIGHT or ANGELO BRANDUARDI.

"US" is a celtic song, well played and arranged and is a good start but the things change immediately with the excellent "Tuatha De Danann", a song that contains all the elements mentioned before including the growling condensed in 6 minutes. If you like this song you can buy all of them. This is not their masterpiece but is made of the same ingredients of their best things: sudden changes in signature, passages from keyboards and tapped guitar to acoustic and flute, clean vocals and growling.

"Beltane" (The month of May in Gaelic) is a metal track that has a lot of DEEP PURPLE. Probably because of the folk element that adds a "classical" touch. Listening to the chords sequence this appears to be a canon. Of course IAN GILLAN never growled. This track really deserves some attention.

"The Bards Of Infinity" is one of the songs, I think, that convinced the prog folk team to add them. It's also this a heavy metal song played on a folk melody on which the wooden flute leads. The good with this band is that they are not absurdly dark as other bands considered "similar". Their music gives positive energy, this is the difference between them and the Epic Metallists.

Even when the subject is evily dark like in "The Queen Of the Witches" the song is not so dark. The opening is medieval and when the bass introduces the growling it's just for few seconds and the growl is used like a percussive instrument. The prevalent mood is the medieval one while the metal parts add energy, specially the very good guitar and keyboard solos reminding to the ARTENSION of VITALIJ KUPRIJ.

A song entitled "Faeryage" couldn't be different. Be happy. This music is solar and full of energy. Here the classical background of the guitarist is evident. I think there's also a bit of Wakeman's Myths and Legends inside. Frequently changes in signature in the second half of the song give it a strong prog flavor.

"Oisin" was a legendary Irish poet. Likely only a legend. The song which brings his name as title is opened by classical guitar and flute and turns into progressive metal. I can't call it differently. Fans of DREAM THEATER, give it a try.

"Inrahma" is an excellent closer. Almost totally acoustic and unplugged with Bodhran replacing drums is the darker song of the album. Bass pitched vocals, flute and acoustic guitar set up a mood good for a dark fantasy tale.

I'm rounding down the rate to three stars only because there's a couple of albums of this band which clearly deserve more but unfortunately none of them is an essential masterpiece, but all the production of this band has the characteristic of being energetic.

Strongly suggested.