Scotland’s Black Metal Spirits Rise From The Mist Once More 🤘
Right then, butt… grab a cloak, pour something strong, and prepare to disappear into the Highlands, because Cnoc An Tursa have just dropped an album that feels less like a record and more like a summoning ritual in the middle of a storm. 🌫️⚔️
After eight long years lurking in the shadows since The Forty Five, the Scottish black/folk metal legends are BACK with A Cry For The Slain, landing April 24th 2026 via Apocalyptic Witchcraft — and by the gods, it’s worth every second of the wait.
This isn’t just a comeback.
This is a war cry echoing across mountains.
🌫️ FROM SILENCE TO STORM – THE RETURN OF CNOC AN TURSA
Let’s not mess about — bands don’t usually disappear for nearly a decade and come back stronger.
But Cnoc An Tursa? Oh they’ve only gone and done it, haven’t they.
This album feels like a band reconnecting with their roots, digging deep into Scotland’s folklore, history, and mysticism — then cranking the amps until the hills themselves start shaking. 🤘
Their signature blend of ferocious black metal and haunting traditional melodies is sharper, richer, and more emotional than ever. It’s like they’ve taken everything that made them great before and just gone:
“Yeah… let’s make it bigger, darker, and more powerful.”
And they absolutely deliver.
⚔️ TRACKS THAT HIT LIKE A HIGHLAND GALE
From the opening moments of ‘Na Fir Ghorma’, you’re pulled straight into a world of sorrow and grandeur — like stepping into a foggy glen where something ancient is watching you.
Then comes ‘The Caoineag’… and BOOM 💥
You’re hit with a freezing blast of black metal fury wrapped in folklore. This one’s built around the Highland banshee, and honestly? You can feel her wailing through the riffs.
Elsewhere:
- ‘Cailleach And The Guardians Of The Seven Stones’ – A massive, sweeping tribute to the winter goddess, packed with Gaelic energy and serious Thin Lizzy vibes sneaking through the melodies 👀
- ‘Baobhan Sith’ – Beauty and terror wrapped together like a cursed gift, with riffs that bite back
- ‘Am Fear Liath Mòr’ – Pure nightmare fuel. The Big Grey Man stalking you through the Cairngorms… you can almost hear those footsteps behind you 😳
- ‘Alba In My Heart’ – The emotional gut-punch. Proud, defiant, and absolutely dripping with love for Scotland. Arms-up, pint-spilling, shout-it-from-the-hills energy 🍻
- ‘The Nine Maidens Of Dundee’ – A haunting, dreamlike closer that leaves you wandering back down from the mountains, questioning reality
This isn’t just a tracklist — it’s a journey through myth, memory, and madness.
🖤 MORE THAN MUSIC – THIS IS ATMOSPHERE
What makes A Cry For The Slain so special is how immersive it is.
Loads of bands chuck folklore into their lyrics and call it a day…
Cnoc An Tursa? Nah mate — they build entire worlds around it.
You don’t just hear these songs.
You walk through them.
You feel the cold air.
You hear whispers in the distance.
You start checking over your shoulder halfway through the album 👀
It’s proper spine-tingling stuff.
🔥 THE SOUND, THE ART, THE WHOLE PACKAGE
This thing sounds HUGE too.
Mastered by Jaime Gomez Arellano (yeah, the same wizard behind Paradise Lost and Primordial), every riff hits with weight and clarity, while still keeping that raw edge that black metal needs.
And the artwork by Olga Kann?
Dark, evocative, and absolutely dripping with atmosphere — the perfect visual match for the sonic journey inside.
This is one of those albums where everything clicks.
🎤 LINE-UP
- Alan Buchan – Vocals
- Rene McDonald Hill – Guitars / Keyboards
- Bryan Hamilton – Drums
🎶 GENRE
Black / Folk Metal
🤘 FOR FANS OF
Primordial | Winterfylleth | Saor | Forefather
🌐 GET INVOLVED
- https://www.facebook.com/cnocantursa/
- https://apocalypticwitchcraft.co.uk/
- https://www.facebook.com/apocalypticwitchcraftrecordings
🤘 RIFF REPORT VERDICT
THIS. IS. MASSIVE.
A Cry For The Slain isn’t just a return — it’s a statement. A bold, emotional, folklore-soaked beast of an album that proves Cnoc An Tursa haven’t lost a single ounce of their power… if anything, they’ve levelled up.
It’s beautiful, brutal, haunting, and proud as hell.
Stick this on loud, shut the lights off, and let it drag you into the mist.
Just don’t blame us if you come out the other side wanting to move to the Highlands and start a black metal band, alright? 😈🏴🤘
