Scotlandโs Black Metal Spirits Rise From The Mist Once More ๐ค
Right then, buttโฆ 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. ๐ซ๏ธโ๏ธ
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 โ and by the gods, itโs worth every second of the wait.
This isnโt just a comeback.
This is a war cry echoing across mountains.
๐ซ๏ธ FROM SILENCE TO STORM โ THE RETURN OF CNOC AN TURSA
Letโs not mess about โ bands donโt usually disappear for nearly a decade and come back stronger.
But Cnoc An Tursa? Oh theyโve only gone and done it, havenโt they.
This album feels like a band reconnecting with their roots, digging deep into Scotlandโs folklore, history, and mysticism โ then cranking the amps until the hills themselves start shaking. ๐ค
Their signature blend of ferocious black metal and haunting traditional melodies is sharper, richer, and more emotional than ever. Itโs like theyโve taken everything that made them great before and just gone:
โYeahโฆ letโs make it bigger, darker, and more powerful.โ
And they absolutely deliver.
โ๏ธ TRACKS THAT HIT LIKE A HIGHLAND GALE
From the opening moments of โNa Fir Ghormaโ, youโre pulled straight into a world of sorrow and grandeur โ like stepping into a foggy glen where something ancient is watching you.
Then comes โThe Caoineagโโฆ and BOOM ๐ฅ
Youโre hit with a freezing blast of black metal fury wrapped in folklore. This oneโs built around the Highland banshee, and honestly? You can feel her wailing through the riffs.
Elsewhere:
- โCailleach And The Guardians Of The Seven Stonesโ โ A massive, sweeping tribute to the winter goddess, packed with Gaelic energy and serious Thin Lizzy vibes sneaking through the melodies ๐
- โBaobhan Sithโ โ Beauty and terror wrapped together like a cursed gift, with riffs that bite back
- โAm Fear Liath Mรฒrโ โ Pure nightmare fuel. The Big Grey Man stalking you through the Cairngormsโฆ you can almost hear those footsteps behind you ๐ณ
- โAlba In My Heartโ โ The emotional gut-punch. Proud, defiant, and absolutely dripping with love for Scotland. Arms-up, pint-spilling, shout-it-from-the-hills energy ๐ป
- โThe Nine Maidens Of Dundeeโ โ A haunting, dreamlike closer that leaves you wandering back down from the mountains, questioning reality
This isnโt just a tracklist โ itโs a journey through myth, memory, and madness.
๐ค MORE THAN MUSIC โ 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 dayโฆ
Cnoc An Tursa? Nah mate โ they build entire worlds around it.
You donโt 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 ๐
Itโs proper spine-tingling stuff.
๐ฅ 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 โ the perfect visual match for the sonic journey inside.
This is one of those albums where everything clicks.
๐ค LINE-UP
- Alan Buchan โ Vocals
- Rene McDonald Hill โ Guitars / Keyboards
- Bryan Hamilton โ Drums
๐ถ GENRE
Black / Folk Metal
๐ค FOR FANS OF
Primordial | Winterfylleth | Saor | Forefather
๐ GET INVOLVED
- https://www.facebook.com/cnocantursa/
- https://apocalypticwitchcraft.co.uk/
- https://www.facebook.com/apocalypticwitchcraftrecordings
๐ค RIFF REPORT VERDICT
THIS. IS. MASSIVE.
A Cry For The Slain isnโt just a return โ itโs a statement. A bold, emotional, folklore-soaked beast of an album that proves Cnoc An Tursa havenโt lost a single ounce of their powerโฆ if anything, theyโve levelled up.
Itโs beautiful, brutal, haunting, and proud as hell.
Stick this on loud, shut the lights off, and let it drag you into the mist.
Just donโt blame us if you come out the other side wanting to move to the Highlands and start a black metal band, alright? ๐๐ด๐ค
