Tag Archives: glasgow

Album Review – SAOR / Amidst the Ruins (2025)

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Andy Marshall and his band of Caledonian warriors are back with an epic voyage set to rekindle the fires of heritage and resurrect the valor that courses through Scotland’s vast landscapes.

Out of the mists, where lore whispers in the winds, Glasgow, Scotland-based Atmospheric Folk/Black Metal act SAOR, pronounced “seur”, which means “free” and “unconstrained” in Scottish Gaelic, the heralds of Caledonia’s primeval beauty and ancient tales, rises once again to enrapture souls far and wide. Their newest offering, Amidst the Ruins, is an epic voyage set to rekindle the fires of heritage and resurrect the valor that courses through Scotland’s vast landscapes. Recorded at Fortriu Studios (vocals, guitars, bass), Nikolaus Recordings Studio (female vocals, tin whistles, low whistles, uilleann pipes), NewLife Studios (drums) and Farkosten Studios (violin, viola, cello), mixed by Chris Fielding at Penylan Studio, mastered by Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street Studios, displaying a beautiful artwork by Julian Bauer (with layout by Adrien Bousson), and featuring guest musicians Ella Zlotos, Carlos Vivas, Jo Quail, Àngela Moya Serrat, Miguel Izquierdo, and Samuel C. Ledesma, Amidst the Ruins stands proud, a timeless sentinel amidst the sands of time carefully brought into being by the project’s mastermind Andy Marshall, offering a stunning onrush of his “Caledonian Metal” perfect for fans of Winterfylleth, Agalloch, and Wolves in the Throne Room, among many others.

Andy and his more-than-special guests waste no time and melt our faces with 12 minutes of beautiful and atmospheric passages in Amidst the Ruins, led by the pulverizing drums by Carlos while Andy fires razor-edged riffs, not to mention how all background instruments like the whistles, violin, viola and cello sound utterly embracing. Echoes of the Ancient Land already begins in full force with Andy gnarling like a beast accompanied by the massive beats by Carlos, offering our avid years another very detailed and embracing musical experience; and by now you’ve probably noticed Andy nurtures a deep passion for long and complex songs, which is also the case with Glen of Sorrow, where the charming vocals by Ella bring a touch of finesse to the hurricane of Atmospheric Black Metal crafted by the whole crew. Then after such an imposing tune it’s time for the folk-infused, atmospheric The Sylvan Embrace, with guest Jo Quail embellishing the airwaves with her cello, followed by the closing song Rebirth, the perfect fusion of Atmospheric Black Metal with classic folk sounds where Ella is once again spot-on with her whimsical whistles while Andy continues to blast his harsh vociferations and melodic yet scorching riffs, all spiced up by the hypnotizing strings by Àngela, Miguel and Samuel.

Building upon the chronicles of old, Amidst the Ruins sees the warriors of SAOR cast a clarion call to awaken from the lethargy of modern existence, to reclaim the essence of a heritage laid asunder. Hence, if you want to join such an amazing army hailing from the Scottish Highlands, you can find them on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Spotify, and of course purchase a copy of the stylish Amidst the Ruins from Bandcamp or by clicking HERE. Andy and his band of Caledonian warriors have crafted a majestic symphony that welds the intensity of Black Metal with Celtic folk melodies in their new album, bridging the past and present as they remain the ceaseless bards of Caledonia unbroken.

Best moments of the album: Amidst the Ruins and Rebirth.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Season of Mist

Track listing
1. Amidst the Ruins 12:41
2. Echoes of the Ancient Land 11:41
3. Glen of Sorrow 12:05
4. The Sylvan Embrace 8:19
5. Rebirth 14:10

Band members
Andy Marshall – vocals, guitars, bass

Guest musicians
Ella Zlotos – female vocals, tin whistles, low whistles, uilleann pipes
Carlos Vivas – drums
Jo Quail – cello and FX on “The Sylvan Embrace”
Àngela Moya Serrat – violin on “Amidst the Ruins”, “Echoes of the Ancient Land” and “Rebirth”
Miguel Izquierdo – viola on “Amidst the Ruins”, “Echoes of the Ancient Land” and “Rebirth”
Samuel C. Ledesma – cello on “Amidst the Ruins”, “Echoes of the Ancient Land” and “Rebirth”

Album Review – Man Must Die / The Pain Behind It All (2023)

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This Scottish Death Metal institution returns with their most aggressive album to date, once again bringing the fight but in a bigger way than ever.

Having already released four furious records and having toured with the likes of Kataklysm, Aborted, Misery Index, Machine Head, Hatebreed and Decapitated, to name a few, Glasgow, Scotland-based Technical Death Metal entity Man Must Die is back in action with their most aggressive album to date and their first full-length album in almost ten years, The Pain Behind It All, following up on their 2019 EP Gagging Order and their 2013 full-length opus Peace Was Never an Option. Known and praised for their highly energetic music style, with early releases containing elements of Technical Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal and even influences from old school Hardcore Punk, but currently showcasing much more melodic elements coupled with a Deathgrind-based sound, the band formed of vocalist Joe McGlynn, guitarists Alan McFarland and Mike Allan, bassist James Wright, and drummer Tony Corio is once again bringing the fight but in a bigger way than ever armed with their new album, always dealing with religion, murder, death, hate and warfare in their lyrics, usually written in a very violent fashion.

The sinister and short intro O.C.D sets the stage for Man Must Die to smash our cranial skulls with Patterns In The Chaos, a pulverizing display of Death Metal with Deathcore nuances with Tony going berserk behind his drums while Joe roars and gnarls nonstop for our vulgar delectation, whereas the title-track The Pain Behind It All brings forward sheer heaviness directly to our faces, with the band’s guitar duo Alan and Mike sounding visceral armed with their axes, not to mention the song’s eerie background ambience. It’s pedal to the metal with the band being on fire in In The Hour Before Your Death, a frantic, heavy-as-hell Death Metal extravaganza led by the always demolishing beats by Tony while their guitars keep exhaling absolute hatred, followed by Clickhate, another boisterous tune by those Scottish death metallers where the level of fury and animosity flowing from all instruments is gargantuan, with Joe bursting his lungs growling like a beast.

After such intense first half of the album, it’s time for a darker song entitled Enabler, a decent mid-tempo feast of Technical Death Metal spearheaded by the piercing riffage by Allan and Mike; and back to their most vicious mode, the band will pulverize our ears in Bring Me The Head Of The King, taking their violence to a whole new level while Joe vociferates the song’s catchy lyrics in great fashion. Get ready for six minutes of anguished passages, thrilling riffs and endless obscurity in War Is My Will, with James blasting his rumbling bass while Tony completes their evil kitchen with his pounding drums, followed by the instrumental interlude Alone In A Crowded Room, soothing our souls for a little less than two minutes before the band comes ripping with their final sonic attack entitled Who Goes There?/I.F.F, a lecture in Death Metal infused with elements from Deathcore, Hardcore, and even hints of Punk Rock. Put differently, it’s impossible to stand still to this venomous sonic hurricane, inspiring us all to slam our damned bodies into the circle pit.

The ruthless squad of Man Must Die is waiting for you on Facebook and on Instagram with news, tour dates and other great information about the band and their music, and of course you can stream all of their pulverizing creations on Spotify. The Pain Behind It All, available for purchase from the Distortion Music Group’s webstore as a CD or a vinyl, as well as from Apple Music or Amazon, is as aforementioned Man Must Die’s strongest and most obscure album to date, positioning the band as one of the torchbearers of the current Scottish metal scene and, therefore, leaving us eager for more and more of their flammable music in the coming years.

Best moments of the album: Patterns In The Chaos, In The Hour Before Your Death, Bring Me The Head Of The King and Who Goes There?/I.F.F.

Worst moments of the album: Enabler.

Released in 2023 Distortion Music Group

Track listing
1. O.C.D 0:33
2. Patterns In The Chaos 4:38
3. The Pain Behind It All 5:01
4. In The Hour Before Your Death 4:11
5. Clickhate 4:07
6. Enabler 5:57
7. Bring Me The Head Of The King 3:33
8. War Is My Will 5:57
9. Alone In A Crowded Room 1:45
10. Who Goes There?/I.F.F 4:13

Band members
Joe McGlynn – vocals
Alan McFarland – lead guitars
Mike Allan – guitars
James Wright – bass
Tony Corio – drums

Album Review – Ruadh / The Rock of the Clyde (2020)

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Open your heart and join musician and songwriter Tom Perrett in his Atmospheric Black Metal journey through the Iron Ages in Scotland.

Drawing from the vast well of history, culture and mythology, Glasgow, Scotland’s own musician and songwriter Tom Perrett set out to compose music purely to taste with his Atmospheric Black Metal solo-project Ruadh (which is pronounced ‘Roo-Ah’ and translates to ‘red’), creating an unmistakable atmosphere with the beating heart of old school Black Metal favourites of his since the project’s inception in 2018, such as Windir, Bathory, Burzum and others, which should also appeal to fans of Saor, Winterfylleth, Panopticon and similar acts. Hailing from Rutherglen (also known as the red glen) in the central belt of Scotland, Tom and his very special guests Cieti on female vocals, Kimberly Copland on bass and Philip Morrison on drums are unleashing upon us all Ruadh’s sophomore album The Rock of the Clyde, an evolution from their 2019 debut album Sovereign presenting six tracks of epic Scottish Atmospheric Black Metal with Folk elements, taking you through the Iron Ages in Scotland and also exploring the history and mythology of the people of Scotland, conveying both sorrow and uplifting, almost heroic tones, all embraced by the delicate and enthralling artwork by Joan Llopis Doménech Illustrations.

Tom and his bandmates don’t waste a single second and fill every single space in the air with crisp, dark and atmospheric sounds in Embers, where Tom fires some deep guttural roars accompanied by Philip’s classic, steady beats and Cieti’s delicate vocals in a 10-minute sonic voyage alternating between heavier moments and an enfolding and whimsical vibe, not to mention the amazing job done by our brave Scottish warrior with his strident guitar riffs. After a fantastic welcome card like that, a ritualistic intro kicks off the title-track The Rock Of The Clyde, morphing into an Atmospheric Folk and Black Metal extravaganza where Kimberly and Philip generate a bold and groovy base for Tom and his soulful riffs and solos, as well as his potent clean vocals, also bringing to our ears acoustic passages and endless melancholy before finally exploding into a visceral fusion of traditional Folk and Black Metal. And in Winters Light the band continues to pave their dark and introspective path, with Kimberly delivering thunderous bass jabs together with the blast beats by Philip while Tom is once again on absolute fire with his growling, his riffage and all background elements found throughout the song’s inspiring nine minutes of music.

Fields Of Heather is another lecture in Atmospheric Black Metal made in Scotland going full Black Metal at times, with all band members generating a classy and piercing sonority with their sonic weapons, sounding at the same time violent, rebellious and epic, and with Tom’s riffs and Kimberly’s bass walking hand in hand it doesn’t matter the speed of the music. Then acoustic and serene sounds and tones permeate the air in Only Distant Echoes Reign (Part 1), a very personal and gentle creation by Tom heightening our senses and warming up our hearts for the second part of this beautiful aria, Only Distant Echoes Reign (Part 2), where a murder of ravens in fugue follows Tom and his dense and captivating music, uniting the heaviness and darkness of Black and Death Metal with more atmospheric and ethereal sounds while Philip dictates the rhythm and Tom barks rabidly as usual, flowing majestically until the song’s grand finale and, consequently, putting a stunning conclusion to such vibrant voyage through Scottish lands.

You don’t need to travel all the way to Scotland to join Tom and his Ruadh in their quest for Atmospheric Black Metal, as all you need to do is follow the project on Facebook and on Instagram to know more about his music, his goals and his music, and above all that, grab your copy of The Rock of the Clyde directly from Ruadh’s own BandCamp page, from the Northern Silence Productions’ BandCamp page, or simply click HERE for all locations where you can buy and stream the album. Massive in both scope and scale, The Rock of the Clyde will feature among the best Atmospheric Black Metal albums of the year without a shadow of a doubt, proving not only that Tom is thoroughly connected to his Scottish roots, but also that underground metal music always sounds more compelling and vibrant when its made of Scottish iron.

Best moments of the album: The Rock Of The Clyde and Fields Of Heather.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2020 Northern Silence Productions

Track listing
1. Embers 10:01
2. The Rock Of The Clyde 10:20
3. Winters Light 9:01
4. Fields Of Heather 10:56
5. Only Distant Echoes Reign (Part 1) 4:44
6. Only Distant Echoes Reign (Part 2) 8:54

Band members
Tom Perrett – vocals, all instruments

Guest musicians
Cieti – female vocals
Kimberly Copland – bass
Philip Morrison – drums

Album Review – Centrilia / In The Name Of Nothing (2019)

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An amazing album of modern-day metal music by four unstoppable Scotsmen, focusing on the meditation of modern humanity, morality and our existence in challenging times of uncertainty.

Following the release of their debut EP You Are in Error in 2013 (the same year the band was born) and Memento Mori in 2015, and after a rabid response from fans of heavy music to their live shows while sharing the stage with renowned acts like Rob Zombie, Soulfy, Behemoth and Arch Enemy, among others, Glasgow, Scotland-based Melodic Death Metal/Metalcore unity Centrilia is ready to crush your skull with their debut full-length album entitled In The Name Of Nothing, showcasing eight tracks of unadulterated crushing heaviness, galvanized with intense veracity, courtesy of Gavin Marshall on vocals, David Sandford on the guitar, Gareth Ellis on bass and Andy Brown on drums. Mixed by Terry Date (Pantera, Deftones, Slayer), recorded by Steven Jones (Bleed from Within, From Sorrow to Serenity) and mastered by Pelle Henricsson (Meshuggah, Refused, Cult of Luna), In The Name Of Nothing focuses on the meditation of modern humanity, morality and our existence in challenging times of uncertainty, with the Glaswegian quartet demonstrating a lot of creativity, groove and aggressiveness throughout the album’s 40 minutes of ferocious metal music.

The opening track Symptoms Of Betrayal is modern and piercing from the very first second, with the music growing in intensity until it becomes a headbanging feast led by David’s metallic riffs and Andy’s unstoppable beats, being tailored for fans of Pantera and Lamb of God. Furthermore, Gavin doesn’t stop growling like a maniac not even for a brief moment, getting us all pumped for the following song, named Splitting Hairs / Spitting Teeth, uniting the most thunderous and visceral elements from the music by Gojira and Lamb of God in a hurricane of contemporary metal music where Gareth is bestial with his bass punches. Needless to say, get ready to have your skull completely smashed into the circle pit to this ode to violence. Then dealing with our modern-day society issues (“t’s just a matter of time / Neck deep but you keep digging / Guilty by association / Lost yourself from the beginning / Don’t think, don’t talk, don’t fucking speak / Suspicion haunts you / And you tell yourself”), the excellent Imposters brings forward first-class Groove and Melodic Death Metal spiced up by tons of progressiveness and rage, with once again the bass by Gareth sounding absolutely menacing.

The Fool On The Hill is more melodic than its predecessors but still violent and neck-breaking, being spearheaded by Gavin’s deep, enraged roars and with David and Gareth being in total sync, while Andy can’t stop hammering his drums in the most Metalcore of all songs. The title-track In The Name Of Nothing leans towards classic Metalcore, offering the listener those high-pitched, desperate screams amidst a chaotic but very harmonious atmosphere, and albeit I prefer their more violent side shown in the previous songs, this is still very enjoyable and heavy, of course; whereas once again bringing austere words (“Hail to the parasite / Holding court with the sycophants / Snared by the antagonist / The unified are ripped asunder”) and the rumbling bass lines by Gareth, the band offers us Those Possessed By Devils, a devastating Groove Metal tune more-than-perfect for banging your head like there’s no tomorrow together with this skillful four-piece act from Scotland.

The second to last explosion of their pulverizing metal music comes in the form of Let The Fire Burn, sounding very dense and cohesive and being perfect for jumping up and down with the band at metal festivals. Moreover, the band’s stringed duo boosts Gavin’s screams in great fashion with their incendiary axes, not to mention how brutal Andy sounds on drums. Last but not least, Centrilia offer our avid ears the multi-layered Tamám Shud, a very introspective creation by the quartet which starts in an Alice In Chains-inspired vibe, with Gavin delivering his most anguished vocals of the entire album while David keeps the ambience as eerie as possible with his riffs, turning the mystery and sadness of the Tamám Shud case (also known as the Mystery of the Somerton Man), an unsolved case of an unidentified man found dead at 6:30am on December 1, 1948 on the Somerton Park beach (just south of Adelaide, South Australia), into first-class metal music. By the way, the case is named after the Persian phrase “tamám shud”, meaning “ended” or “finished,” which was written on a scrap of paper found months later in the fob pocket of the man’s trousers. Isn’t this a sensational topic for a dark and melodic metal song?

In The Name Of Nothing, available for a full listen on Spotify, definitely positions Centrilia as one of the most interesting new names not only of the Scottish metal scene, but of the entire Melodic Death Metal and Metalcore universe, sounding intense, violent and thunderous from start to finish, just the way we like it. Hence, in order to show your support to those four talented Scotsmen, go check what they’re up to on Facebook, subscribe to their YouTube channel, and purchase your copy of their excellent new album from their BandCamp page, where you can by the way find several top-of-the-line, exclusive bundles and merch, as well as from your usual Apple Music, Amazon or Google Play. This is an amazing album of straightforward and aggressive music made in the beautiful Scotland, my friends, not in the name of “nothing” as the album name itself states, but in the name of our good old Heavy Metal.

Best moments of the album: Splitting Hairs / Spitting Teeth, Imposters and Those Possessed By Devils.

Worst moments of the album: In The Name Of Nothing.

Released in 2019 233 Records

Track listing
1. Symptoms Of Betrayal 5:27
2. Splitting Hairs / Spitting Teeth 3:23
3. Imposters 4:42
4. The Fool On The Hill 5:02
5. In The Name Of Nothing 6:03
6. Those Possessed By Devils 4:01
7. Let The Fire Burn 4:48
8. Tamám Shud 7:19

Band members
Gavin Marshall – vocals
David Sandford – guitars, backing vocals
Gareth Ellis – bass, backing vocals
Andy Brown – drums