[Review] - Newest ISC Staffer Dean Explores Saor’s ‘Amidst The Ruins’ LP.
Everyone please Give Dean a warm welcome to the ISC Team! More reveals in future. For now, we’re opting to drop some metal-review magic straight on you guys with no context. Heh. Enjoy the review - plenty more Deano content coming up in future.
Peace, Love and Folk-Metal-Bagpipin’/Dice-Rollin xoxo - Brady.
Album Art for ‘Amidst The Ruins’.
Album Review: Saor (pronounced ‘Shore’)
Album Title: Amidst The Ruins
Release date: February 7th 2025
Label: Season of Mist
After listening to the run up releases ‘Amidst the Ruins’ (title track) and ‘Sylvan Embrace’, I was assured that this album was going to be a work of merit for Saor. Following the sharp release of ‘Rebirth’ (the closing track), we were treated to two more tracks with the official release of the album, clocking in at just under an hour (58 minutes). One of those tracks has become my personal favourite.
My anticipation was primed, easily persuaded by the highly inspiring and uplifting singles that were released. What Saor has given us is an intricate woven tapestry of emotionally appealing arrangements.This is definitely one of the most inspiring albums I have listened to recently and at its core, it is black metal.
[Just a few of many great snaps of the LP’s release show by gig-tographer @duncanmccallphoto (be sure to check out Duncan’s fantastic IG photographic adventures), posted to Saor’s official Facebook account. Socials links at bottom of article - Brady.]
I must preface this with a disclaimer that I have always had a preference for Celtic music as it speaks to my Albion bones. It also bears saying that this is not ‘true/kvlt’ black metal, but rather an answer to the tired voice of ‘black metal is so same samey’.
The album title track begins (expectantly) with the ambient sounds of winds howling over the Highland Glens - a double drum roll, and we’re off with a galloping, blast-beat and blackened guitars riffing through a minor key. Slowing to mid tempo into the verse, Andy Marshall’s raspy screamed vocals are accompanied by an icy toned guitar riff. There is a power and intensity on display, however not vengeful or malicious.
As the screamed vocals and reverberating drum beats recede the central melody exalts triumphantly ensconced in the hauntingly beautiful pipes that are reminiscent of ancient Celtic tunes. The melody drifts as if upon the mountain tops until it stirs the forces of nature beneath it, at which point the more familiar elements of drums, bass and guitar encapsulate the refrain, to be further embellished by the most epic and majestic bagpipe-melody. At this stage you really do feel that the ancients are calling you on an epic journey, through misty mountains that time forgot.
Silky guitar solos develop into Celtic themes.
The second verse rolls into a guitar solo with a crisp modern tone, this is dropped out as more traditional celtic instrumentation fills the space leading to an epic refrain reminiscent of the triumph of nature or the return of heroes following a long and arduous campaign.
Synchronously, Andy screams atop it all, ‘We will rise, from the ashes we will rise…’. Soul stirring and evocative, you cannot help but feel inspired and empowered. As the instrumentation carries the main melody, Andy is joined by the exquisitely serene vocals of Ella Zlotos transitioning us to the outro.
At the close of twelve minutes, we are gently drifting across the highlands accompanied by a solemn acoustic guitar and lilting pipe melody. This is truly awe inspiring and superbly crafted in its entirety. A remarkable feat of musicianship and by the heathen gods - this is just one-fifth of the album!
Track 2: ‘Echoes of an Ancient Land’ opens with an intense two minutes of familiar black metal ferocity accented with Andy’s emotive vocals and a lead guitar melody that, true to theme, reminds us that we are listening to a fusion of celtic folk. Keeping true to its roots, the chaos is stripped away again to spotlight the enchanting solo pipe work of Ella Zlotos underpinned with traditional violin, deep tonal bass, an undercurrent of cello and the rumbling of percussion. This bridge establishes the main melody of the track and it transitions superbly well back into the main body of the song through fusion of blast beats and incredibly immaculate tonal guitar.
Layered over this is Andy and Ella’s vocals which encapsulate us in a druidic spell. Andy plys us with a poetic delivery ‘amongst the ancient pines where shadows intertwine…’ and is accompanied by Ella’s soulful backing as refreshing as a cold mountain stream. The drums are absolutely pounding by this stage and the guitar is screaming through the octave ripping semitone after semitone. Five minutes in and we spend a quiet moment with the lead guitar soaring as if on a cliff top, indomitable, anchoring that key melody before it’s quickly rejoined by the wall of sound. The blast— beats carry us along once more until 7 minutes in, we are in quiet eerie terrain with a tense, edgy bagpipe solo, and then my shetland pony, if you thought you had heard epic well the build that follows is something else, the fusion of black metal and majestic celtic anthem is truly magnificent.
Track 3: ‘Glen of Sorrows’. So, by this stage of the album you have embarked on an epic journey, been greeted by the ancient heroes and fey creatures, and feel invincible. Then you wander into the Glen of Sorrows alone, confused and apprehensive as dulcet guitar tones of echoing reverb tell you something is not quite right here, evil lurks.
This track reminds us of the unforgiving force of nature, the bleak emptiness of loss and grief and the resilience of the human spirit to cling to our fragile lives and battle on despite the demons and the nightmares we are confronted with sporadically or continually. The opening two minutes of this piece is heavy and I don’t mean musically, it's a lamentation which bursts into rollicking drums and bagpipes. ‘In death’s embrace we linger here in the realm of shadows in memories of fear’... Andy’s vocals hiss forth like a curse upon the unwary. Ella punctuates the solemn anthems from the pipes and violins with a truly haunting vox.
Celtic melodies lead us into a true black metal chorus and now it’s celtic black n’roll, horns are out and you are headbanging with full stank-face. Once again, the feel and tempo hushes and we have a dirge on the pipes before the black metal brigade leads us out with the regalia of an Edinburgh Tattoo. Without a doubt, this is my favourite track on the album.
Official Artist Photograph, available via Saor’s official page on the Season of Mist website.
Track 4: ‘The Sylvan Embrace’. This is a true restoration of the spirit. Saor provides us with a calming and enchanting refrain standing in sharp contrast to the previous more melancholic offering. With this track you emerge into a tranquil forest glen surrounded by peaceful beings. This is quintessential folk/ambience at its finest, and is a signature piece for Ella’s vocals. This is primarily due to Andy’s role-reversal in backing through a poignant, whispered spoken-word.
Track 5: ‘Rebirth’. The album’s closer is a revelation, uniquely Saor, a testimony to Andy and his colleagues abilities to fuse atmospheric black metal with timeless Celtic folk. Fully cognisant of the fact that the prior track is extremely gentle for the majority of his audience, ‘Rebirth’ pulls no punches with its’ intro; waking you from metalhead meditation with a plunge into a blackened, icy Loch.
The intro combines blast beats at 180bpm underpinning split-octave, sustained power chords. Hurtling into the verse, the tempo slows to a solid kick bass the chords are now sharp and repeated, typically black metal in character, chorusing Andy’s raspy screams. It’s a call to action, the climax has arrived we’re reaching the crescendo… and it's absolutely sublime.
A soaring orchestration emerges of pipes, whistles, violin and Andy’s cleans tug at our heartstrings once more. The bridge leads us into a key change and the guitars and violins blend in a monumental Caledonian chorale, this is shortly followed by yet another key change in which the guitars tremolo the central tune to surging blast beats.
Eight minutes in and seemingly this uplifting piece is over when yet another surprise, a solo guitar in the style of bagpipes like a flag unfurled atop a rocky precipice. This is soon joined by Ella’s most astonishing cleans, something akin to a traditional Scottish hymn. The finale is as jubilant as black metal will ever get, all the instrumentation folds back in. The sustained guitar chords playing out the unmistakable Scottish anthem, held aloft by rolling drums. Then the hush of the bagpipes repeating the central melody, fading out in the mists of the glen.
At close of the album, you are left with a feeling of true euphoria and the anthem is on repeat in your head, testifying to Saor’s remarkable development as a band. This is undoubtedly their best work yet. My only criticism is that there could have been more. Particularly one or two more tracks, with a desolate or sinister vibe.
Thank you if you’ve gotten this far.
I’m giving it 8 ½ bagpipes out of ten!
You can order the fantastic, hymnal LP Amidst The Ruins right here.