A new post finally appears!
Haggis And Bong are a unique, blue-paint-and-tartan-clad entity on the
African metal scene. Their purely instrumental compositions are led by
bagpipes. The lack of vocals doesn’t detract from the songs’ ability to tell
stories of glories and tragedies past.
Proud pipes open Eiridh tonn air usige balb (A wave will rise on quiet water). The guitars, fast heavy metal drumming and pipes meld well. This song does well in setting the mood for the rest of the album. The drums open Revelation of the Gods, the next track. The bass has a turn in the spotlight on this track, and displays some great riffs. The lonely, melancholy tone of the pipes and a crying guitar solo speak of disappointing revelations.
Blood Loch, Where Cloud and Mountain Meet and Flying the Banner are a triple play of
outstanding songs. The grave-sounding pipes on Blood Loch made me imagine a great battle, with both sides
suffering heavy losses (One such battle was fought between Clan Chattan and
Clan Kay in 1396. Only one of the Clan Kay warriors was left alive.). There are
some lighter moments in this song, with lively, galloping passages, and parts
which sound like a Scottish jig. Where
Cloud and Mountain Meet made me want to dance more than headbang, with an
irresistible groove provided by the pipes and drums. The song has great bass
lines and guitar riffs. The guitar solo is ear-catching. Towards the end, the
guitar joins the pipes in a faster passage, to great effect. More groove
appears in the form of Flying the Banner.
The bass guitar is again noticeable – throughout the album, the bass plays a
less background role than usual, which is good to hear for a change. I really
enjoyed the bagpipe harmonies on this track.
Closing Of Myth & Legend
on a spectacular note is The Celtic Force.
This track has a grand feel to it, with a trombone joining the mix. If I were
heading off to battle a rival clan, I would play this song before marching with
the clan army. Furious blastbeats rain down as the pipes skirl beautifully, and
the bass provides good riffs (and later on a funk-like passage). There is a
droning pipe break before the frenetic pipe resumes. Haggis and Bong released a
music video for this song earlier this year, which has received rotation on
MK’s Ondergrond music program (MK is
a DSTV channel which plays South African music videos). The video fits with the
song perfectly, and is well-made. Haggis and Bong are definitely an original
force in South African metal, and I look forward to more musical evocations of
the Scotland
of old.
