Patriotism has almost become a dirty word to the minds of modern Britain with many of us viewing it as something of a social grey area. Not wanting to be associated with football hooliganism or abused for showing pride in our home country, patriotism has become a thing one expresses only at particular times when its deemed safe, such as during a large public event like Armistice Day.
Taking no heed of the above position and in true metal style, Scottish black metal project Saor says fuck your feelings of unease whilst proudly waving the flag of Scottish heritage and culture. Since forming in 2013 under the moniker Arsaidh, Saor has acted as an evocative vessel of Scottish national pride. Through the incorporation of Scotland’s cultural history into the very DNA of the songs, in Saor you will find grand tales based on Scottish literature, historical sorrow and the majesty of the Scottish landscape that seldom ever miss the mark.
Forged by the vision of the bands founder and multi-instrumentalist, Andy Marshall, Soar’s expert combinations of traditional Scottish sounds with the musings of Celtic folk and the harsh grimness of black metal to create a sound so unique and full of such power that by the albums end you will be dressed in full clan’s tartan crying for the blood of the south. Like many atmospheric black metal bands, Saor makes heavy use of non-traditionally metal instruments like the flute, violin and of course the bagpipes to give his metal an ethereal and meditative quality. Careful not to allow one element to overpower any other, Marshall’s skill results in the near perfect unison between orchestral and metal. For instance, the song ‘Autumn Rain’, a well-paced emotional epic, opens to a warm gathering of violins gently caressing the listener in anticipation of the guitars entrance. Yet, far from upstaging the violins, the guitar joins the symphony to produce one of the more beautiful moments of the album.
With each song being upwards of ten minutes, its perhaps no surprise that there is an awful lot of repetition and variations of a theme. Yet to the albums credit, in building its sound upon the addition and subtraction of differing instrumental voices in the mix, the album is devoid of any real lapse in musical momentum. if anything, it’s stands testament to Marshall’s song-writing ability that he can construct long sweeping passages made to emulate the rolling hills of his homeland, without losing the listeners interest or diluting the epic qualities of the track. Filled with wonderment as on ‘Guardians’ or heroism as with ‘Hearth’, ‘Guardians’ is an album that is almost not meant to be analysed. Like most atmospheric black metal, Marshall as constructed his tale in a way that means it is meant to be felt as much as heard. To overly examine it is to try and catch the wind within your hands. A futile exercise.
Coming in at album number three for the band, ‘Guardians’ represents the best of Saor. With every note and every passage intrinsically linked to the landscape and culture of Scotland, with ‘Guardians’ Marshall proves that few bands have a grasp on contemporary atmospheric black metal quite like Saor.
A Review By Matthew Young.