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Edinburgh husband and wife duo Hand Of Kalliach released their debut album to seemingly deaf ears - what was a stunningly beautiful album full of deft riffs, haunting melodies and a wonderful blend of heaviness with Gaelic folk music went sadly almost unnoticed by a lot of the heavy music world. For album two, John and Sophie have levelled up and now have the backing of LA's Prosthetic Records to help them reach the audience they deserve.
'Corryvreckan', the title of the album, is taken from the whirlpool that lies somewhere in the Western Scottish isles where the goddess Kalliach (or Cailleach) lives. To signal the coming of winter, she arises from her slumber to wash off her plaid and casts it across the land in it's new bright white. This is intrinsically linked to the festival Samhainn, which is the title of the bands first release. Album two weaves the Scottish folk tales into songs that can put you into a trance as you're affixed by their beauty, yet in a mere moment erupt into a maelstrom, ripping your breath away and leaving you in awe of their sheer power.
Kicking off the album is a perfect example of this glorious juxtaposition that the duo are already masters of. 'Three Seas' allows the beautiful folk influence to set the scene, as the lyrics introduce those titular three seas at the corner of which Corryvreckan is found, where Kalliach is gradually rising from the depths of the sea to make herself known and spread her cloak over the land as snowfall. The instrumentals are entrancing, John's guitar work is splendid alongside his drumming, and Sophie makes light work of the bass. However, the pair shine most when the vocals come to the fore - both of them have exquisite control over two wildly different vocal styles as Sophie has one of the most beautifully haunting and ethereal singing voices I've heard, and John can summon a gruff roar fit for the battlefields of the Celts and Picts that counterbalances Sophie perfectly, giving them a ridiculously broad range of sounds between the pair.
Following up from the certifiably epic album opener is 'Fell Reigns', which lyrically continues from the previous song but keeping up a more consistently heavy sound throughout, where the third song 'Dìoghaltas' is a song of vengeance sung predominantly in Gaelic. Song four 'Cirein-cròin' showed off a side to the band that wasn't so obvious on album one, with an almost Amon Amarth-esque style of melodeath happening that does rear its head again later in the album, fitting the theme of the song as Cirein-cròin is the name of a Scottish sea beast that shares some similarities with the Norse Jormungandr. This sense of musical evolution through the album is phenomenal, as each song has its own identity whilst all still satisfying the Hand Of Kalliach manifesto, that being their unique brand of folky melodeath with vastly differing vocals and Gaelic inspired lyrics.
Now we reach the midpoint of the album with 'Deathless', the fifth track of nine. Sung from the perspective of an onlooker witnessing Kalliach's ascent before being dragged into Corryvreckan's gaping maw, all to a soundtrack of riffy melodeath. 'The Hubris of Prince Bhreacan' shares the same Amon Amarth-esque sensibilities but with a tale of pride and hubris, with a mortal man taking one step too far and finding himself at the bottom of the sea, wedded to Kalliach and becoming one with the rocks she lies within. His name is tied to the whirlpool, as the Gaelic name for the watery feature is Coire Bhreacain or 'the cauldron of the plaid'. Seventh comes 'Unbroken You Remain' which precedes the penultimate, and shortest, track on the album 'The Cauldron'. Track seven has lyrics that may or may not relate to the Prince on the song before, but can definitely be taken as an uplifting song, and when in a dark moment could catch you unawares with their deceptively irresistible power. As alluded to earlier, the whirlpool is referred to as the cauldron frequently, and track eight once more returns to the rise of the wintry witch goddess through the cauldron to bring about the change of the seasons, in under three minutes of thrilling Gaelic metal.
The most powerful track on the album is unquestionably the final song 'Of Twilight and the Pyre' - instantly instilling a sense of wonder from the delicately plucked strings of the introduction, and more of Sophie's haunting vocals singing about the coming of winter once again, as a primal drumbeat enters below the gentle sounds of strings and singing. John joins the fray with both guitars and voice at roughly the halfway mark and bolsters the song taking it from a beautiful lullaby feel to a muscled up chant, almost ritualistic in its hypnotic nature.
Hand Of Kalliach have outdone their lofty standards with 'Corryvreckan'. Their sophomore album is rife with gorgeous melodies, intoxicating soundscapes, and stunningly written lyrics. Whether on your first listen or your tenth, there will be something else hidden within this wonderful new release for you to uncover, as you dig your way into the sonic world that has been woven here.
'Corryvreckan' comes out on February 23rd 2024 via Prosthetic Records.
Words: Jake Longhurst
Photo: Matthieu Gill
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