Dál Riata is a band from Glasgow, Scotland that formed in 2017, and have just brought out their first full-length album on April 12, 2024. In case you were not aware, their name refers to an old Gaelic kingdom in the Middle Ages, that used to encompass north-eastern Ireland as well as the western seaboard of Scotland. It should come as no surprise to anyone then, that their songs are steeped in Celtic mythology and traditional folk-inspired melodies.
Their style of music could best be described as melodic death metal, while at the same time, it is heavily infused with robust power metal elements. This makes for quite an interesting combination, and bears some resemblance to Ensiferum if you need a near comparison. The band is spearheaded by Carys Serries, who is also not your stereotypical frontwoman. Wielding her six-string bass guitar like a trained warrior in the heat of combat – a lethality which is matched only by her blood-curdling death vocals – Serries definitely brings plenty of presence and personality to each of these compositions. Her pitch is much deeper than you might expect as well, almost in the same vicinity as the impressive low notes that she produces from her thunderous bass strings.
But there is one thing that I would care to mention while we’re on this particular subject. It’s probably intentional, but I would have preferred for her voice to have been higher in the mix. Not that it would have helped all that much in understanding what she is singing, but I just believe that it would have produced a far nicer balance overall. As it stands, the production tends to favour the lead guitar above everything else. It forces you to listen to the album at a slightly higher volume, which by itself is probably not a bad way to soak in the experience anyway. And this might have been a much bigger criticism were it not for the undisputable fact that guitarist Scott McLeod is simply great at what he does. It is difficult to complain, and really that’s not what I’m doing, but it might be something just worth considering as an improvement for any future releases. Meanwhile, guitar enthusiasts can sit back and enjoy.
There are plenty of hooks in here for you to be caught on, and they show up early in the runtime. Take the opening track, “Hound of Culann”, which lures you in with its Maiden-esque guitar licks, before happily snagging you and stringing you along. Or the merry-sounding leads on “Destiny’s Cry“, which accurately replicate the precise feeling of charging off on a huge adventure. It’s also worth praising Scott McLeod again for lending clean vocals to the chorus along with Serries, adding a more classical feel. “Trial By Water” is yet further bait for your senses, with its instantly enticing riffs. Although one of the guitar solos in this song does end a little flatly in my opinion, and could have used a bigger exclamation point. It’s perhaps a small reminder that the band still have room for growth.
“Andraste’s Favour” introduces some acoustic elements, which also make a reappearance on later tracks too, such as “Nine Maidens of Dundee“. The contrast this provides is great, and endows the proceedings with a more naturalistic flavour. Halfway through the album, and the band are still slugging away with plenty of passion. “Light Blind Sorrow” is a total belter of a track, but my fondest feelings are reserved for “Otherworld“, given its thrashier approach, and throwing-down-the-gauntlet, “Come at me, bro!” attitude: “I will stand // I will fight // Until I wear the crown of all Mankind”.
After a few false starts in “Mag Tuired“, Dál Riata continue on their bloody march. And this time it is the gods they have in their sights within this mythical plain. Yet another powerful number, with some heavier riffing and light orchestral elements on display. “Nine Maidens of Dundee” brings the album to a close with another Celtic tale. The story here is about a farmer who loses all nine of his daughters to a dragon or snakelike creature after sending them to a well to fetch him some water. Perhaps linking back to the album artwork, which is fantastic too by the way. In summary, I really liked this first offering by Dál Riata. While I felt the production could have perhaps been done a little differently, it still doesn’t diminish from this very solid collection of tracks.
Verdict: Dál Riata’s self-titled debut album wears its Celtic heritage proudly, and succeeds in its cultural representation. An intriguing melting pot of mythology and varying styles of metal, it’s an impressive introduction for the band, and one that deserves to be heard by a wide audience of metalheads.
