Waylander (Band)
Waylander is a Northern Irish folk metal band. The band was founded in Armagh in 1993 and is next to Cruachan and Primordial as a pioneer of the band sometimes referred to as a sub-genre of folk Metals Celtic Metal.
History
Waylander was founded by brothers Ciaran and Dermot O'Hagan 1993. The first demo was released in 1995 under the name Once Upon an Era. When in 1996 with Máirtín Mac Cormaic was a tin-whistle player in the band, we recorded the second demo, Dawning of a New Age, which made the band known in the folk metal scene. After the band on Century Media was changed, in 1998 the first album Reawakening Pride Once Lost was published. To promote the album were played a few concerts; However, problems with the label and internal conflicts dampened the success of the band. After some line- up changes Waylander signed with Blackend Records and released in early 2001 the album The Light, the Dark and the Endless Knot. While the first album was praised in the trade press often, The Light, the Dark and the Endless Knot received mostly scathing reviews. In her review for the album in Metal Hammer Petra Schurer commented on the album with the words:
" [ ... ] Waylander [ disappoint ] with her second Pagan Metal work on the line. While using the Irish [ ... ] a number of nice imaginary elements, [ ... ] However, the arrangement of the individual components convinced at any time. Plain and simple boring is what is heard there. So Waylander torment [ in part] on epischgähnender minutes in width ( also and at times technically amateurish ) to be provided through simple-minded guitar solos, monotonous singing elegies and doom riffs, without a shred of playfulness. Not always simplicity is synonymous with lack of imagination: But in the case of Waylander the impression one can not help thinking that it acute shortage of troops of ideas. And that should change pretty fast when Waylander not want to go in the near future too quickly the way of all flesh. "
Other disputes ensured in the following years for more line- up changes. Nevertheless, the band managed to play some important concerts and festivals, such as with Ancient Rites, Cathedral and Skyforger or on the Bloodstock Open Air and the Day of Darkness Festival. After switching to Listenable Records released Waylander Honour Amongst Chaos album 2008. The unlike the second studio album by the band again got better reviews in the specialized press. Robert Müller from Metal Hammer gave the album 4 of 7 points and wrote:
" [ T] he third album of pagan metal [ sounds ] remarkably consistent [ ... ]. Unfortunately, it also shows that the musical charm with subtle Celtic sounds [ ... ] has singsong chants but quite worn since the cool debut Reawakening PRIDE ONCE LOST. This is to a large extent also to the sometimes quite meager musical performances of the men around screamer " ArdChieftain " Ciaran O'Hagan, the other to the uniformity of the songs. The sound is definitely cool [, also thanks to some interesting arrangements by ]. Nevertheless, there are 80 percent of HONOUR AMONGST CHAOS only minimally varied metallic frontal attacks. "
The debut album Reawakening Pride Once Lost was also in the same year by Midhir Records on CD and LP wiederveröffentlicht.Gaz Murdock left Waylander in 2008, was briefly replaced by Ade Mulgrew and came towards the end of the year back to the band. In early 2009 he left the band again then spontaneously to switch to Alestorm, although for next time queuing some concerts. These Dermot O'Hagan completed the line-up for a short time until we were found a solid guitarist with Hugh O'Neill.
Style
Waylander Heavy Metal plays with strong Irish folk elements so that they can assign to the folk metal. The lyrics are from the Celtic mythology and history, in part, the texts also come from the Irish / Celtic folklore. Comparisons are made among other things, with Skyclad.