Band:	Mael Mórdha
Album:	Manannán
Style:	Celtic doom metal
Release date:	May 2010

01. Through The Lungs Of The Dead
02. The Summoning
03. The Doom Of The Races Of Éire
04. Our Ancestors Dwell Here
05. Manannán
06. A Nation In Ruins
07. The Gaelic Twilight
08. Back To Éire

Gaelic Doom metal
Recorded: Apollo Studios, Ireland 2009
Label: Grau Records
Total Running Time: 45:27


Mael Mórdha are nothing less than the epitome of metal epicness. Despite being around for more than ten years and despite being considerably skilled, Mael Mórdha have never been a big ticket item... which is a sad thing... especially if you haven't heard of them before, as you're missing out on a truly great band.

Manannán is the band's third epos and portrays the heroic tales of the Irish sea deity called - you guessed it - Manannán. Just like on their previous releases, Mael Mórdha unleash a tremendous burst of heavy doom metal with several traditional Gaelic touches. Still intact are the well-written and well-executed hymns and fierce yet bewitching melodies. But the piano-driven passages are completely gone now. Either way, it's still ear-catching Metal with plenty of meat to the bone.

In case you're wondering, yes, this is quite a unique sounding band. Though one other group that will inevitably come to mind is Primordial. And also the mostly clean, and above all heartfelt, vocals remind by times of those of Nemtheanga. Even though the similarities are there, the big difference is that Mael Mórdha are a tad less galloping than their fellow country brethren. In any case, if you're an enthused fan of any of the things I mentioned up till this point, you have a must-listen on your hands. A must-listen.

Furthermore, Mael Mórdha is a band that knows exactly how to move the listener in several unexpected ways. There are times when you feel as powerful and sturdy as a fearsome warlord ready for battle. On other parts you see yourself gazing over forgotten Irish landscapes in an inescapable aura of melancholia. In any case, you'll feel struck by lightning as the massive influx of pure epicness is never far away.

Mael Mórdha makes about the same impression as a circus lion. A lion in a cage isn't such a big deal, but once in the spotlights, you'll be amazed by its strength and majestic pride.