Sleeping Village Reviews
  • REVIEWS & PREMIERES
  • ARCHIVES
    • OLDE REVIEWS
    • OLDE INTERVIEWS
    • OLDE FEATURES
    • OLDE PREMIERES
  • SUBMIT FOR REVIEW!

HAND OF KALLIACH - Samhainn (Review)

10/31/2021

3 Comments

 
Picture
So: for the better part of five(!) months, my attention has been almost entirely absent from the overwhelming world of new metal releases. Sitting precariously on the edge of burnout, I spent most of my time listening to non-metal genres and ignoring, with no small amount of guilt, the massive glut of undoubtedly excellent music piling up in the ol' promo pit here at the Sleeping Village.

To cut a long story short: a few weeks ago, I listened (many, many times) to an album that would inevitably serve as a light at the end of the tunnel. Ever since making the duo's acquaintance upon the release of their
(exceptionally promising) first EP, I had been eagerly awaiting the debut full length from Edinburgh's Hand of Kalliach. To not listen immediately upon its release felt absolutely criminal.

And so here we are, discussing the album responsible for my return to reviewing.
Samhainn is uniquely vibrant and charming in a way that makes me excited about metal again. This behemoth is borderline indescribable in its display of intrigue and bombast. Let's get into it, shall we?

Despite containing a whole lot of familiar elements, Hand of Kalliach's brand of melodeath-by-way-of-folk-metal is exceedingly difficult to define. A furious--and often churning--sense of aggression is apparent in the galloping groove-laden riffage, rolling drums, and John's aurochian harsh bellows. In contrast, the shimmering melodicism portrayed in the leads and Sophie's gorgeous cleans present the perfect foil. This is a startlingly dynamic album, built on the implicit play between seemingly disparate elements. While every track is beautifully distinct, if you heard the incredible lead single "Cinders" earlier this summer, you know the general lay of the land. If you're unfamiliar, go listen to that absolute fuckin' barn-burnerimmediately. What a godlike track, but yet it doesn't even stand out among the pack. I couldn't reliably name a favorite track under fear of death, and that is a mark of a truly great album, if e'er there was. 


Folk metal (and melodeath as well, to be fair) all too often gets lost in the weeds of its own extravagant aesthetic, like unto a straight-to-paperback fantasy novel with a bad case of scenery-over-story. Here, however, Hand of Kalliach consistently write songs that possess a decidedly epic quality without every losing that remarkable sense of grounded sincerity. Notably, the Celtic elements aren't window dressing--everything herein feels instantly authentic. The most high-flying displays of Sophie's ethereal vocals would feel untethered and distant in the hands of your average songwriter, but here, they serve to accentuate rather than distract. There are so many quality moments that would suffice to demonstrate, but look to the back half of "Solas Neònach" or the chorus of "Roil" as prime examples. Both balance the seemingly disparate aesthetics with a rare grace, moving forth with a total cohesion. The glistening pomp and bombast is thrilling and necessary rather than a gimmicky afterthought undermining the overall aggression. Similarly, the glorious climatic moments where Hand of Kalliach unleash beastly ferocity feel even more powerful by benefit of the dynamic composition. When it comes to maintaining interest and keeping the audience hooked, Samhainn succeeds incredibly well. And while the "switch to haunting vocals and then hit 'em with the thunderous vitriol" strategy would stale quickly in lesser hands, it never feels like Hand of Kalliach show all of their cards. Everything is fresh, and that is a beautiful quality.

 
​Y'know that feeling of witnessing the genesis of something truly significant? There's a magic and a wonder associated with the potency of potential. While this album is, in this scribe's opinion, an absolute smash, part of my enjoyment stems from the implicit fact that Hand of Kalliach are perfectly poised to make it big. Folk metal thrives when it is bolstered by unbridled energy, and the consistent and clever use of contrast across the breadth makes for a highly engaging listen. This album has made a substantial splash here and elsewhere for very good reason, and I'm excited to see Hand of Kalliach's popularity continue to grow. They are on the cusp of something great, and that you can print.

Hand of Kalliach could have gone half as hard and I'd still be singing this album's praises. Indeed, the only complaint I can muster is that the last track, "Return to Stone," ends ever so abruptly, resulting in a "wait, the album is over?!" moment. In sum, however, this is a damn near perfect debut album, a magical and heartwarming piece of art that went far beyond my expectations. Samhainn is certainly one of my favorite releases of the year across a wide breadth of utterly unrelated genres. Needless to say: highly recommended!

If you've got the cash to spare, pick up Samhainn on bandcamp for a ridiculously fair price. I sincerely doubt you'll regret it.

Hand of Kalliach can be found:
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram​
3 Comments
Marshall Walker link
10/31/2021 08:48:57 am

Yours is the best review I've read on this brilliant effort. I'm totally flabbergasted by this album and so excited for John and Sophie. They are already something to us who know of them. I can only hope the rest of the world catches up, quickly.
Marshall

Reply
Highfalutin peasant
10/31/2021 09:01:56 am

Thanks for the comment and the kind words!

Reply
Men for Rent Kansas City link
10/28/2024 03:04:59 am

Great blog, I enjoyed reading

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    WELCOME!

    We provide thoughtful reviews of the music that wakes us from slumber. 
    ​
    Written by a highfalutin peasantry.


    Archives

    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021

    Categories

    All
    666
    Acid Rock
    Adventure
    Afrobeats
    A High Quality Death Metal Album
    Album Announcement
    Album Premiere
    Album Stream
    Alternative Rock
    Alt Metal
    Alt-metal
    Ambient
    Ampwall
    Antifascist
    AOTY
    Atmospheric
    Atmospheric Black Metal
    Atmospheric Doom
    Avant Garde
    Beat Tape
    Blackened
    Blackened Death Metal
    Blackened Doom
    Blackened Thrash
    Black Metal
    Black 'n' Roll
    Boom-Bap
    Brooklyn Artemis
    Brutal Death Metal
    Cinematic
    Classic Albums
    Classic Rock
    Compilation Album
    Concept Album
    Cosmic Death Metal
    Cover Song
    Crossover
    Crust
    Crust Punk
    Cybergrind
    Cyber Metal
    Dark Ambient
    Dark Metal
    Darksynth
    Deathcore
    Death Doom
    Deathened Black Metal
    Deathgrind
    Death Metal
    Death Thrash
    Demo
    Demo Tape
    Desert Rock
    Dissonant Death Metal
    Djent
    Doom
    Doomgaze
    Doom Metal
    Doomviolence
    Dream Metal
    Dream Pop
    Drone
    Dungeon Synth
    EDM
    Electronic
    Electronica
    Electronicore
    Emo
    EP
    Epic Metal
    Ethereal
    Europower
    Experimental
    Extreme Metal
    Faery-synth
    Family Friendly
    Fantasy
    Folk Metal
    Fresh Meat Friday
    From The Archives
    Funeral Doom
    Fuzz
    Goregrind
    Gothic
    Goth Rock
    Grind
    Grindcore
    Groove Metal
    Gross Death Metal
    Grunge
    Guest Post
    Gym
    Hardcore
    Hard Rock
    Harsh Noise
    Haunting
    Heavy Metal
    Heavy Psych
    Heavy Rock
    Hip Hop
    Hip-Hop
    Horror
    Horrorcore
    Indie Rock
    Industrial
    Industrial Metal
    Instrumental
    Instrumental Hip Hop
    Interview
    Jazz
    Jazz Rap
    Lists 2022
    Mars Metal
    Mathcore
    Melodic Black Metal
    Melodic Death Metal
    Melodic Metal
    Meme Reviews
    Metalcore
    Metallic Hardcore
    Metallic Sludge
    Metal Reviews
    Micro Reviews
    Mini Reviews
    Modern Metal
    Music Video
    Neoclassical Metal
    Noise
    Nu Metal
    Nu-metal
    NWOBHM
    NWOTHM
    Occult
    Olde-reviews
    Old-school-death-metal
    On-the-horizon
    Orchestral
    OSDM
    Playlist
    Playlist Curation
    Pop
    Pop Rock
    Post Hardcore
    Post-hardcore
    Post Metal
    Post-metal
    Post Rock
    Post-rock
    Post-sludge
    Powerdeath
    Power Electronics
    Power Metal
    Powerviolence
    Prog
    Progressive Death Metal
    Progressive Metal
    Progressive Rock
    Progressive Thrash
    Prog Rock
    Proto-metal
    Psych
    Punk
    Rap
    Rap Reviews
    Raw Black Metal
    Release Day Roundup
    Retro Rock
    Retrospective Reviews
    Reviews
    RnB
    Rock
    Rock & Roll
    Sci Fi
    Sci-fi
    Shoegaze
    Singer-songwriter
    Ska
    Skate Punk
    Skramz
    Slam
    Sludge
    Soundcloud
    Soundtrack
    Speed Metal
    Split Releases
    Stoner
    Stoner Doom
    Stoner Metal
    Stoner Rock
    Stoner Thrash
    Swedeath
    Swedish Death Metal
    Symphonic Black Metal
    Symphonic Metal
    Synth
    Synthwave
    Techdeath
    Technical Death Metal
    Thrash Metal
    Top 10
    Track Premiere
    Track Reviews
    Traditional Doom
    Traditional Metal
    Trap
    Trippy
    Two Of A Perfect Pair
    UKHC
    Underground Rap
    USPM
    Year End Lists

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • REVIEWS & PREMIERES
  • ARCHIVES
    • OLDE REVIEWS
    • OLDE INTERVIEWS
    • OLDE FEATURES
    • OLDE PREMIERES
  • SUBMIT FOR REVIEW!