Rating: 8.5/10
Release: 23 February 2024
Label: Prosthetic Records

The Scottish band Hand of Kalliach will return with “Corryvreckan”, their second album that will be released for the American Prosthetic Records. Also, in this album will be marked by the proven blend of melodic death metal mixed with Scottish folk music.

The band’s name is borrowed from the legend of the Cailleach, the ancient witch god of winter from Scottish Celtic mythology. The story goes that she lives at the bottom of an enormous whirlpool, Corryvreckan, which lies between some of the western isles of Scotland and lends its name to this album. As the herald of winter, she rises from the depths to wash her plaid (cloak) in the waters of the Corryvreckan. Once washed and restored to a bright white, she casts it across the earth where it lands as snow. This is done at the start of Samhainn. Her reign ends as spring arrives with the festival of Bealltainn in May, and she turns to stone to await the next winter. The Cailleach is depicted in various, contradictory ways – both as a symbol of death, loss and despair, as well as a source of nurturing and protection.

On the cover there is Cailleach that is emerging from the enormous whirlpool that is Corryvreckan, with two massive waves on both sides of the witch. Cailleach is covered in a white coat and has a scepter in one hand and a piece of a ship’s relic in the other hand. On the right side below there is a piece of land with a tree and a figure on it. There is also a snake like animal on this wonderful cover.

Musically the album is very good and it’s focused on the concept of duality of benevolence and malevolence, which has as a background the history, mythology and the seascapes of the Scottish islands. Of the 9 tracks that are in “Corryvreckan” some stand out, including: “Cirein-Cròin”, a very “ethereal” song, but at the same time with an excellent death metal base; “The Hubris of Prince Bhreacan”, with the voice in growl that begins in the distance, an excellent base that enhances both vocal parts; “The Cauldron” in which the base is perfect for the dualism of the vocal parts; “Of Twilight and The Pyre” with an acoustic beginning that flows into a melodic pure death metal.

In “Corryvreckan” Hand of Kalliach mixes the brutality of death metal with the ethereal threads of folk that makes the album an exciting journey through the Ancient Tales of Scotland through an unparalleled eye for detail that brings every single element of Corryvreckan to life. That’s a good sophomore album for the Scottish duo.

I would like to take this last part of the review to give a little advice from a booklover to all the readers. While I was listening to this album, I had one book in mind: “The Celtic Ring” by Bjorn Larsson. It’s the story of a man and his friend that sails on an adventure in the North Sea after a strange meeting between Ulf, the main character, and MacDuff, a Scottish cult member. That will lead to an adventure through Scotland, with an incredible crossing of Corryvreckan at a certain point of the book.

Tracklist

1. Three Seas
2. Fell Reigns 05:06
3. Dìoghaltas
4. Cirein-cròin
5. Deathless
6. The Hubris of Prince Bhreacan
7. Unbroken You Remain
8. The Cauldron
9. Of Twilight and the Pyre