The Giants of Auld

The Giants of Auld is the debut from the U.K.'s Cnoc An Tursa. It is a potent slab of Black Metal with some folk instrumentation. The songs are powerful and melodic with raspy, shouted vocals tying everything together. "The Lion of Scotland" sets the tone with up-tempo riffing while "Winter - A Dirge" shows off the band's skill at creating atmospheres without sacrificing punch. The songwriting is above average and the band's playing follows suit. The folk instruments, mainly keyboards and flute, are used solely in support roles, so The Giants of Auld rolls along with no unnecessary, full-on folk detours. Cnoc An Tursa saves that for the closing track, the beautiful flute instrumental "Blar na h-Eaglaise Brice."

Hardly original but very well executed, The Giants of Auld is a promising debut from Cnoc An Tursa.