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segunda-feira, 31 de outubro de 2016

Saor - Guardians (Full Length Album - 2016) - Bandcamp Stream



"Guardians" is the much anticipated third full-length album from one-man Scottish Atmospheric Celtic Metal project Saor. Two years after the release of his highly successful sophomore album "Aura" (2014), Andy Marshall returns with his unique brand of beautifully crafted, epic Folk Black Metal steeped in folklore.

Recorded over two years in Cairndow and the Isle of Skye, the new release contains five majestic new tracks with a playing time of just under an hour. Musically it carries on where "Aura" left off, weaving together intelligently-crafted guitar riffs, soaring folk melodies and stirring string sections, taking you on a journey throughout the majestic, mist-covered Highland landscapes. As well as being inspired by nature, the album takes influence from various traditional Scottish poems which cover a range of themes such as ancient battles, cultural heritage and sorrow.

On this new release, Andy has worked alongside a host of incredibly talented guest musicians from around the world including Bryan Hamilton (Cnoc An Tursa) on drums, Meri Tadic (Ex-Elueviete, Irij) on fiddle, John Becker (Austaras) on strings and Kevin Murphy on bagpipes.

"Guardians" is essential for Atmospheric Metal fans and those craving more emotional depth in their Folk/Black Metal.

The band do Atmospheric music from Scotland inspired by Highland nature/landscapes, heritage and traditional poetry.

Saor means "Free" in Gaelic. The name refers to "Saor Alba" meaning "Free Scotland", a phrase commonly used by the Scottish Independence movement. Saor played a few live shows between 2015 and 2016. It is now a studio-only project and there will not be any more live shows as of the aforementioned date.

The CD comes as collectors edition in digipack with 12-page booklet, limited to 1000 copies, and as regular edition in jewel case. The DLP will be released in early 2017. Release date and details tba.

The album will be released on November 11, 2016, but they already released are streaming the whole album.


Media Praise
9/10 - Metal Observer
9/10 - Metal Temple
5/5 - Stormbringer 
9.8/10 - Radiowom
10/10 - Black Phoenix Rising
14/15 - Folk Metal Austria
8.4/10 - Metal Storm

4.1/5 - The Sonic Sensory
"You’ll notice throughout this album that musically Andy is constantly upping his game from start to finish, there’s moments on here which will leave you breathless and you won’t even have finished taking those in when the next twist comes and elevates things even further. [...] By the time the fourth song “Hearth” plays you will without doubt be fully immersed in the rich and vivid atmosphere Saor has created and the album still continues to bloom, the music at this point becoming yet more intricate and complex and new ingredients still coming in [...] You’re left wondering constantly just where Saor will take this next as you try to absorb everything that’s going on, something which will take many, many listens to fully achieve. [...] [Tears of a Nation] is a final exclamation point, a culmination of a dazzling showcase of masterful composition and musicianship and by the time it’s done I’m sure many a jaw will need picking up from the floor. [...] all in all it’s safe to say that Saor has truly delivered a hugely impressive and absolutely essential album with this third effort. You’ve no doubt figured this out by now, Guardians left one hell of an impression here, and while I wish to take absolutely nothing away from Roots and Aura, Saor’s previous works I get the feeling that this is the album Andy has wanted to make for a long time, possibly his entire life. This is the coming together of music, inspiration, culture and tradition, shaped and moulded by gifted hands into something that transcends all of those things, and it’s an album which cannot fail to impress just about any fan of atmospheric metal in general. We already have some extremely strong players in this area anyway, now is certainly a good time to be into it and with Saor significantly raising the stakes it just got even better. We’ve been presented with an incredible listening experience here, one I can find very little to find fault with and as such I have no qualms in giving this the following mark."10/10 - blackphoenixrising.freeforums.org

"As on the previous albums have also all five tracks from" Guardians "with in section 11 of minutes of playing time over length. What others fail gloriously because running Saor in top form! [...] The combination of extremely atmospheric black metal and folk elements of course the Highlander comes here to Good. in this genre is dreamy guitar passages have felt ever drag on, without losing its charm. but the folk instruments bagpipes, flute, bodhran and violin (the latter, incidentally, partly recorded by the former Eluveitie- violinist Meri Tadic) were integrated, is quite big cinema! "14/15 - www.folkmetalaustria.wordpress.com

"It’s been awhile since I’ve been completely blown away when I’ve heard an artist for the first time, and blown away is exactly what happened when I heard Scottish artist Saor. [...] Andy Marshall has created a beautiful sounding album with complex musical arrangements containing masterfully crafted guitar riffs melodiously accompanied by bagpipes, fiddles, and other stringed instruments plus pounding double bass drumming. [...] Guardians is surely not an album to miss if you’re looking to hear something some fresh and original." - www.metalmofos.com

"Fans of AGALLOCH, MOONSORROW or WINTERFYLLETH will gravitate to this music quickly if they haven’t already done so by now. [...] This album was a great pleasure to hear. SAOR extends their talents far beyond mediocrity. It is mandatory to be moved by music this passionate and strong. The Scottish patriotism throughout this album calls us all back to the Highlands of Scotland despite where you may actually come from. There is something so mystical about that place that it leaves a stain on its countryside and people; People who can use this mysticism to enchant their music."

"Andrew crafted once again a masterpiece of Scottish Folkloric Black Metal that ends the same way it started, with bagpipes and guitar. While fans of his more aggressive previous releases might find it a little soft, this record demonstrates that Andrew can still change the formula and stay relevant to the genre. The folkloric instruments bring a whole new depth to his soundscape that wasn’t as important as on this record and this is emphasized by the great composition of the songs."- rastapunkreviews.blogspot.de

"Your heart will soar, wrench and swell as the album flows and it’s truly one of the most emotive things I’ve heard this year. There’s an over-arching entrancement present but the emotional gamut it nonetheless runs is wonderful... It’s just so epic... What remains is something to make even the most cricket-playing, Pimms-drinking, colony-acquiring Englishman rip his trousers into a kilt and cry for the blood of the South." - Angry Metal Guy [4.5/5]

Formed In: 2013

Status: Active
Years Active: 2012-2013 (as Àrsaidh), 2013-Present

LINE UP
Andy Marshall - All instruments, Vocals

Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Genre: Atmospheric Folk/Black Metal



Booking/Press Contact: fortriuprod@gmail.com


Official Website: www.saormusic.com

Official Webstore: http://saor.bigcartel.com


 Guardians (Full Length Album - 2016)


Releases November 11, 2016 

Pre-Order The Album At:
Northern Silence Productions Webstore: http://shop.northern-silence.de
Official Saor's Webstore: http://saor.bigcartel.com

All music composed and performed by Andy Marshall unless stated below. 

Session Musicians: 
Bryan Hamilton - Drums 
John Becker (www.johnbeckermusic.com) - Strings 
Meri Tadić (www.irijmusic.com) - Fiddle on "Guardians" and "Hearth" 
Reni McDonald Hill - Bodhrán on "The Declaration" 
Kevin Murphy - Highland bagpipes 

Production: 
Mixed and mastered by Spenser Morris. (spensermorrisaudio@gmail.com
Vocals and drums recorded by Reni McDonald Hill at The Cottage Studio, Cairndow, Scotland. 
Guitars recorded by Martyn Moffat at Seann Druim Cottage, Isle of Skye, Scotland. 
Strings recorded and guitars re-amped by Spenser Morris at Decade Music studio, Chicago, US. 
Fiddle recorded by Meri Tadić. 
Highland bagpipes recorded by Kevin Murphy. 

Artwork: 
Front and back cover painted by Sebastian Wagner (www.sebastianwagner-art.com
Inlay photography by Land of Light Photography (www.landoflightphotography.com
Artwork edited by Northern Silence.

Aether - Tale of Fire (EP - 2016) - Bandcamp Stream


The Polish Melodeath/Folk band Aether released their EP “TALE OF FIRE", which will was released on Sept. 30 with a release party!  The EP contains four tracks. The cover artwork was designed by Kamil Gałek, the recording, mixing and mastering, which took place in early August in Nova - Recording Studio, Gdańsk. This is  the first official release by the band after release an Demo last year.

Media Praise 

"The band performs with absolute confidence and an undying belief in their craft. The musicianship is impeccable and [...] as far as a debut EP goes, this is the best one of 2016 to date."- Metal Temple (Rating 9/10)
"Super good, so much better than anything on our first release" -Vincent "Jake" Jones (of Aether Realm)

"Ethereal feel, loved it all the way. Amazing!" - Mir Hisham (of Ionic Bond)

Formed In: 2015
Status: Active
Years Active: 2015-Present


LINE UP
Michał Górski - Bass
Mateusz "Zwierzu" Gryglas - Drums
Krzysztof Grochowski - Guitars
Michał Miluśki - Guitars, Vocals
Krzysztof Wiedeński - Keyboards

Country of Origin: Poland
Location: Łódź
Genre: Melodic Death/Folk Metal

Current Label: Art of the Night Productions

Released September 30, 2016

terça-feira, 25 de outubro de 2016

Blackning - ALieNation (Full-Length Album - 2016) - Bandcamp Stream



The Paulista trio Blackning, that after the great debut in "Order of Chaos", 2014, returns frothing fury with his Thrasher "Alienation", his new release, just came out.

"Alienation" is a continuation of the style that the band already showed in "Order of Chaos": Thrash aggressive Metal and well done, with good melodies, high-level changes of pace, and these more extreme touches here and there . The big difference is that all the previous harmonic and melodic structure of the band is more cohesive, stronger, and this makes the songs the trio will flow more spontaneously. Yes, Blackning climbed one step higher in quality.

The production and mixing was maded by Fabiano Penna (Rebaelliun Guitarist), while the mastering was maded by Neto Grous at  Absolute Master Studio. And the result is a dry sound, aggressive and harsh, close to the sounds that the band play live, and that allows the listener to perceive not only the instrumental work of the band without difficulty. But even so it ceases to be heavy and impact.

Regarding the  Artwork, the presentation of "Alienation" is from first quality. A three-page digipack allowed Marcus Zerma, from  Black Blague Design that also did the art of "Order of Chaos", but this time, is more dense and with a clear meaning: manipulation.

Musically, the Blackning matured as the thrash metal band is much more cohesive and showing an interesting influence of Crossover and even HC at some points (as can be seen in the riffs of "Street Justice"), but the band is with musical arrangements most painstaking, and it is with a manicured aesthetics, without the band loses its natural aggressiveness. And join this special appearances by Fabiano Penna on backing vocals (which also programmed the samples), and additional vocals from André Alves (Statues On Fire Guitarist / Vocalist) in "Corporation" and Lohy Silveira (Rebaelliun Bassist / Vocalist) in "Devil's Child".

Media Praise

"If still being so young, the Blackening is able to make a record like "Alienation", the future reserved for them should be bright!" - Roadie Metal (Rating 10/10)

"AlieNation" is an excellent album, so hope you can buy it, but prepare your necks!" - Metal Temple (Rating Masterpiece)

"The Blackning is even a prodigy with talent, ability and experience to conquer and build a bright future. They will still leave many sore necks. Excellent, excellent!" - Underground Resistance Brasil

"It's great to be always seeing arise names that have the clout to take the name of Brazil in the Metal worldwide stage, and BLACKNING is a soldier more than qualified to carry this flag." - Polvorazine (Rating 9,5)

"If still being so young, the Blackening is able to make a record like "Alienation", the future reserved for them should be bright!"One of the great Thrash Metal albums of the year, no doubt!" - Metal Samsara (Rating 10/10)

Formed In: 2013
Status: Active
Years Active: 2013-present

LINE UP
Cléber Orsioli - Vocals And Guitar
Francisco Stanich Jr. - Bass And Backing Vocals
Elvis Santos - Drums And Backing Vocals

Country of Origin: Brazil
Location: Santo André, São Paulo
Genre: Thrash Metal

Current Label: Vingança Music (Brazil)// Hecatombe Records (Europe)
Booking/Press Contact: blackningthrash@gmail.com
Phone: +55 11 98607-8281

Official Website: http://www.blackning.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blackningmetal
Bandcamp: http://blackning.bandcamp.com
Soundcloud: http://www.soundcloud.com/blackning
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/blackningmetal
Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/+blackningmetal
Merch: http://www.blackningstore.com


ALieNation (Full-Length Album - 2016)

Released June 1, 2016 

TECHNICAL INFOS: 
Album recorded between February and April/2016 
Produced and mixed by Fabiano Penna at El Diablo (Sao Paulo/SP - Brazil) - fabianotheorder@gmail.com 
Mastered by Neto Grous at Absolute Master (Capivari/SP - Brazil) - www.absolutemaster.com.br 
Drums recorded by Danilo Pozzani at Acustica Studios (Sao Caetano do Sul/SP - Brazil) - www.acusticastudios.com 
Rhythm guitars, leads (Orsioli) and bass guitar recorded by Rodrigo D'Simi at CDC Studio (Santo Andre/SP - Brazil) 
Guitar re-amp and leads (Penna) recorded by Fabiano Penna (El Diablo) 
Vocals recorded by Danilo Pozzani (Acustica Studios) 
Background vocals by Blackning & Fabiano Penna (recorded by Danilo Pozzani - Acustica Studios) 
Additional vocals on "Corporation" by Andre Alves (Statues on Fire / Nitrominds / Musica Diablo) - Recorded by Danilo Pozzani (Acustica Studios) 
Additional vocals on "Devil's Child" by Lohy Silveira (Rebaelliun) - Recorded by Rafael Siqueira at Estúdio Black (Porto Alegre/RS - Brazil) 
All sample programming by Fabiano Penna (El Diablo) 
Promo picture by Synara Rocha - www.synararocha.com 
All musics by Blackning 
All lyrics by Blackning, except "Corporation" by Andre Alves 
Cover art by Marcus Zerma of Black Blague Design (Curitiba/PR - Brazil) - ww.facebook.com/blackplaguedesign


Soliloquium - An Empty Frame (Full-Length Album - 2016) - Bandcamp Stream



Soliloquium is a death/doom metal band from Sweden started in 2011. It started as a Desolator side project but grew into a band with a life of its own.

"An Empty Frame" is the first original full length album after two demos, one EP and one compilation album. "An Empty Frame" was released on 21 October 2016 on Transcending Records. The album was mixed and mastered by Mike Watts, and features cover art by Ollie Assault (Deamon Design).

The Soliloquium music is not just standard death/doom metal, they try to mix in progressive elements as well as elements from death metal and shoegaze to make a style that is as unique as possible.


Formed In: 2011
Status: Active
Years Active: 2011-Present

LINE UP
Stefan Nordström - Vocals/Guitars (Desolator, Ending Quest)
Jonas Bergkvist - Bass (Desolator, Ending Quest, Wolfcross)
Mortuz - Drums (Mist of Misery, Eufori)
Mike Watts - Electronics (Sleepwalkers)

Country of Origin: Sweden
Location: Stockholm
Genre: Doom/Death Metal

Current Label: Unsigned/Independent
Bandcamp: http://soliloquium.bandcamp.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Soliloquium-236215949804095
SoundCloud: http://www.deathdoom.com
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSiXyjqCIsO8Up8A-uUFnxA

An Empty Frame (Full-Length Album - 2016)


Released October 2, 2016

You can download the album  (name your price) and stream it at https://soliloquium.bandcamp.com/album/an-empty-frame
Physical CD's are available at http://www.transcendingrecords.com/cgi-bin/productDetails.cgi?pid=9683

terça-feira, 18 de outubro de 2016

Clouds Announces New Album + First Single Released


Clouds have been looking for new a drummer. For the moment, Funeral's Anders Eek will be their live drummer, however, they have started to reveal more about their new album. Firstly, it will be called Departe and the cover artwork was provided by Arthur Kornovics.

New song off the second album called "Departe" which will be released on November 1st 2016. 


How Can I Be There (Single - 2016)

Released October 17, 2016

The album will feature Shaun MacGowan of My Dying Bride on violin as guest musician. The album will be released late this  year, most likely with Domestic Genocide Records, with whom the band has collaborated in the past.

Clouds is a veritable supergroup containing members of some of the most prolific Doom bands around. Formed by Daniel Neagoe (Eye Of Solitude, Deos, Colosus) in 2013, he states, "The music is dedicated to departed ones, loved ones who now, are no longer amongst us." Joined by Jarno Salomaa (Shape Of Despair), Déhà (Imber Luminis, Slow), Kostas Panagiotou (Pantheist, Wijlen Wij), Pim Blankenstein (Officium Triste, The 11th Hour) and Jón Aldará (Barren Earth, Hamferð), Daniel and crew. CLOUDS orchestrate solemn odes of pain and sorrow dedicated to departed souls. Forged following the passing of someone close and dear, to hear CLOUDS is to lose yourself in a grievous journey through paths of desolation, anguish and despair.

Formed in: 2013
Status: Active
Years active: 2013-Present

LINE UP
Daniel Neagoe  -  Drums, Vocals 
Jarno Salomaa  - Guitars 
Déhà - Guitars, Bass 
Kostas Panagiotou - Keyboards 
Pim Blankenstein - Vocals 
Jón Aldará - Vocals 
Anders Eek  - Drums
Mark Antoniades - Guitar

Genre: Atmospheric Doom Metal
Country of origin: International
Location: United Kingdom / Finland / Netherlands / Faroe Islands / Belgium

Current label: Domestic Genocide Records
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CloudsBandOfficial
Bandcamp: https://cloudsofficial.bandcamp.com
Merch: http://doomclouds.bigcartel.com

quarta-feira, 5 de outubro de 2016

District Unknown - (2014 - 2016) [ Full Discography] - Soundcloud Stream



District Unknown is a psychedelic metal band from Kabul, Afghanistan. Formed in 2008, it is thought to be the first heavy metal band from the region. After a number of changes, the lineup currently consists of founding members Qasem (bass guitar, synthesizer) and Pedram (drums, percussion), Yo Khalifa (lead vocals, keyboards) and Sulleiman (lead guitar, keyboards, backing vocals).

District Unknown is considered the first heavy metal band in Afghanistan. The quartet of thunder performs both cover songs, including "These Dreams" (Marilyn Manson's version of the Eurythmics song) and new originals at parties all over Kabul and now is looking for cross-border audiences. As this is the birth of Afghanistan's heavy metal scene, stay tuned to find these guys taking the genre, and their country, in entirely new directions. For security reasons, the band asks to perform loud but nameless, at least for now.

District Unknown was formed in 2008 by cousins Lemar and Qais, and brothers Qasem and Pedram through filmmaker Travis Beard. Originally starting as a doom/thrash metal band, the quartet began experimenting with psychedelic music in order to carve out their own sound. Originally playing small shows with a series of covers and original songs "The Nightmare" and "The Dying Bride", threats towards the band began arriving from ultra-conservative and Taliban militants who were opposed to the group making music, so the band had to play in secret, wearing masks and not revealing their names.

In 2011 the band experienced a change in lineup with Lemar moving abroad, with Sason and Fa'ez joining the band to bolster the lineup and Nasir Ahmad of Afghan pop group Arian joining temporarily on keyboards. After stopping wearing masks the band began to gather attention from international media outlets who gained an interest in their story, such as the BBC, CBS and Rolling Stone.

In 2012 saw further changes in the band as District Unknown reverted to a 4 piece band, with Yo Khalifa joining as the new lead vocalist and Sulleiman joining on lead guitar.

In August 2014 the band released their debut album, Anatomy of a 24 Hour Lifetime, and in June 2015 the band, along with documentary film Martyrs of Metal, won the Global Metal Award at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards, held in London on June 15, 2015.

In 2016 the band regrouped and released new track "64" on July 8.

The group calls their music "Psychedelic Metal". Playing this sort of music in Afghanistan can be very dangerous due to the large amount of conservatives, as a result, when they originally began playing gigs, they wore masks so their identities were hidden from extremists.

The name "District Unknown" came from the movie "District 9" which the band found relate-able to their situation.

AWARDS
Global Metal Award - August 2015 - Golden Gods Awards - Metal Hammer Magazine.

Global Metal Apocalypse Awards 2012 - Event of the Year (reader's choice).

Formed In: 2008
Status: Active
Years Active: 2008-Present

LINE UP
Qasem Foushanji - Bass
Pedram Foushanji -  Drums, Percussion
Yusof [aka Khalifa] - Lead Vocals, Guitar
Sulleiman Omar - Lead Guitar, Keyboards, Backing Vocals

Country of Origin: Afghanistan
Location: Kabul
Genre: Heavy Progressive, Pscychedelic and Post-Metal

Current Label: Oxus Music
CEO: Pedram Foushanji
Booking/Press Contact: districtunknownkabul@gmail.com


DISCOGRAPHY

64 (Single - 2016)

Released July 8, 2016

Anatomy Of A 24 Hour Lifetime (Full-Length Album - 2014)

Released August 4th, 2014

sábado, 1 de outubro de 2016

Saor Announces New Album + Two Singles Released



"Guardians" is the much anticipated third full-length album from one-man Scottish Atmospheric Celtic Metal project Saor. Two years after the release of his highly successful sophomore album "Aura" (2014), Andy Marshall returns with his unique brand of beautifully crafted, epic Folk Black Metal steeped in folklore.

Recorded over two years in Cairndow and the Isle of Skye, the new release contains five majestic new tracks with a playing time of just under an hour. Musically it carries on where "Aura" left off, weaving together intelligently-crafted guitar riffs, soaring folk melodies and stirring string sections, taking you on a journey throughout the majestic, mist-covered Highland landscapes. As well as being inspired by nature, the album takes influence from various traditional Scottish poems which cover a range of themes such as ancient battles, cultural heritage and sorrow.

On this new release, Andy has worked alongside a host of incredibly talented guest musicians from around the world including Bryan Hamilton (Cnoc An Tursa) on drums, Meri Tadic (Ex-Elueviete, Irij) on fiddle, John Becker (Austaras) on strings and Kevin Murphy on bagpipes.

"Guardians" is essential for Atmospheric Metal fans and those craving more emotional depth in their Folk/Black Metal.

The band do Atmospheric music from Scotland inspired by Highland nature/landscapes, heritage and traditional poetry.

Saor means "Free" in Gaelic. The name refers to "Saor Alba" meaning "Free Scotland", a phrase commonly used by the Scottish Independence movement. Saor played a few live shows between 2015 and 2016. It is now a studio-only project and there will not be any more live shows as of the aforementioned date.

The CD comes as collectors edition in digipack with 12-page booklet, limited to 1000 copies, and as regular edition in jewel case. The DLP will be released in early 2017. Release date and details tba.

Tracklist:

1. Guardians (11:31)
2. The Declaration (10:31)
3. Autumn Rain (11:09)
4. Hearth (11:27)
5. Tears Of A Nation (11:18)

The album will be released on November 11, 2016, but they already released 2 singles extracted from the album.

 Guardians (Single - 2016)


The Declaration (Single - 2016)


Pre-Order The Album At:
Northern Silence Productions Webstore: http://shop.northern-silence.de
Official Saor's Webstore: http://saor.bigcartel.com

All music composed and performed by Andy Marshall unless stated below. 

Session Musicians: 
Bryan Hamilton - Drums 
John Becker (www.johnbeckermusic.com) - Strings 
Meri Tadić (www.irijmusic.com) - Fiddle on "Guardians" and "Hearth" 
Reni McDonald Hill - Bodhrán on "The Declaration" 
Kevin Murphy - Highland bagpipes 

Production: 
Mixed and mastered by Spenser Morris. (spensermorrisaudio@gmail.com
Vocals and drums recorded by Reni McDonald Hill at The Cottage Studio, Cairndow, Scotland. 
Guitars recorded by Martyn Moffat at Seann Druim Cottage, Isle of Skye, Scotland. 
Strings recorded and guitars re-amped by Spenser Morris at Decade Music studio, Chicago, US. 
Fiddle recorded by Meri Tadić. 
Highland bagpipes recorded by Kevin Murphy. 

Artwork: 
Front and back cover painted by Sebastian Wagner (www.sebastianwagner-art.com
Inlay photography by Land of Light Photography (www.landoflightphotography.com
Artwork edited by Northern Silence.

Media Praise

"You’ll notice throughout this album that musically Andy is constantly upping his game from start to finish, there’s moments on here which will leave you breathless and you won’t even have finished taking those in when the next twist comes and elevates things even further. [...] By the time the fourth song “Hearth” plays you will without doubt be fully immersed in the rich and vivid atmosphere Saor has created and the album still continues to bloom, the music at this point becoming yet more intricate and complex and new ingredients still coming in [...] You’re left wondering constantly just where Saor will take this next as you try to absorb everything that’s going on, something which will take many, many listens to fully achieve. [...] [Tears of a Nation] is a final exclamation point, a culmination of a dazzling showcase of masterful composition and musicianship and by the time it’s done I’m sure many a jaw will need picking up from the floor. [...] all in all it’s safe to say that Saor has truly delivered a hugely impressive and absolutely essential album with this third effort. You’ve no doubt figured this out by now, Guardians left one hell of an impression here, and while I wish to take absolutely nothing away from Roots and Aura, Saor’s previous works I get the feeling that this is the album Andy has wanted to make for a long time, possibly his entire life. This is the coming together of music, inspiration, culture and tradition, shaped and moulded by gifted hands into something that transcends all of those things, and it’s an album which cannot fail to impress just about any fan of atmospheric metal in general. We already have some extremely strong players in this area anyway, now is certainly a good time to be into it and with Saor significantly raising the stakes it just got even better. We’ve been presented with an incredible listening experience here, one I can find very little to find fault with and as such I have no qualms in giving this the following mark."10/10 - blackphoenixrising.freeforums.org

"As on the previous albums have also all five tracks from" Guardians "with in section 11 of minutes of playing time over length. What others fail gloriously because running Saor in top form! [...] The combination of extremely atmospheric black metal and folk elements of course the Highlander comes here to Good. in this genre is dreamy guitar passages have felt ever drag on, without losing its charm. but the folk instruments bagpipes, flute, bodhran and violin (the latter, incidentally, partly recorded by the former Eluveitie- violinist Meri Tadic) were integrated, is quite big cinema! "14/15 - www.folkmetalaustria.wordpress.com

"It’s been awhile since I’ve been completely blown away when I’ve heard an artist for the first time, and blown away is exactly what happened when I heard Scottish artist Saor. [...] Andy Marshall has created a beautiful sounding album with complex musical arrangements containing masterfully crafted guitar riffs melodiously accompanied by bagpipes, fiddles, and other stringed instruments plus pounding double bass drumming. [...] Guardians is surely not an album to miss if you’re looking to hear something some fresh and original." - www.metalmofos.com

"Fans of AGALLOCH, MOONSORROW or WINTERFYLLETH will gravitate to this music quickly if they haven’t already done so by now. [...] This album was a great pleasure to hear. SAOR extends their talents far beyond mediocrity. It is mandatory to be moved by music this passionate and strong. The Scottish patriotism throughout this album calls us all back to the Highlands of Scotland despite where you may actually come from. There is something so mystical about that place that it leaves a stain on its countryside and people; People who can use this mysticism to enchant their music."

"Andrew crafted once again a masterpiece of Scottish Folkloric Black Metal that ends the same way it started, with bagpipes and guitar. While fans of his more aggressive previous releases might find it a little soft, this record demonstrates that Andrew can still change the formula and stay relevant to the genre. The folkloric instruments bring a whole new depth to his soundscape that wasn’t as important as on this record and this is emphasized by the great composition of the songs."- rastapunkreviews.blogspot.de

Formed In: 2013
Status: Active
Years Active: 2012-2013 (as Àrsaidh), 2013-Present

LINE UP
Andy Marshall - All instruments, Vocals

Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Genre: Atmospheric Folk/Black Metal

Current Label: Northern Silence Productions
Booking/Press Contact: fortriuprod@gmail.com

Official Website: www.saormusic.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/saorofficial
Bandcamp: http://saor.bandcamp.com
VK: http://vk.com/saorofficial
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/saormusic
Merch: https://saor.bandcamp.com/merch
Official Webstore: http://saor.bigcartel.com