When I see an album and band classified as “Celtic metal”, I’m there. I had no idea what to expect of this album and grabbed it with zero knowledge. I had not heard a note, nor read a letter. It just sounded in my wheelhouse.

I guess because of that, it’s a 5 out of 10.  I’ve now listened to the album twice and it’s good but also just there. Enjoyable music. Something to play in the background. But there’s nothing that really got my attention. It’s just all serviceable.

If you love metal and want to hear something all about spirituality on a bleak island, you’re in luck. However, as I said before, it’s all just ‘good’. The lyrics are good, the music is good, the echoes of a rich history are good. There’s just nothing that caused me to pause and ignore everything else going on in order to focus on the music.

Which is a bit disappointing because I thought this would be an introduction to something incredible. Instead it will join the list of music I listened to this year and ultimately I’ll forget about it. Then years from now someone will ask if I’ve ever heard of this band and I’ll say yes it was alright.

“The Seed of Tyrants” has this buzzing droning constant riff that is uncomfortable yet calls. It almost hurts to hear, but there’s something in it that demands attention. The musical equivalent of hearing something in the woods and despite knowing you should run in the other direction, you investigate instead.

Songs like “Wield Lightning to Split the Sun” would be at home on a Celtic version of Vikings soundtrack. I think that’s ultimately where the album falls flat with me. I have nothing to connect it to. On its own, its not giving me enough to latch on to. Paired with a movie, show, moment in life, anything – I would feel differently. Right now though it’s tetherless.

Here in the Library there is just too much content in the queue for me to spend too much time on average.