The debut EP from Hand of Kalliach. Featuring distilled Scottish, gaelic and celtic overtones blended with metal foundations, this experimental demo EP was written on the west coast of Scotland on the Isle of Islay, and recorded in Edinburgh. Self-produced and self-released initially, followed by physical issue via Trepanation Recordings.

MEDIA FEEDBACK:

90 / 100
"… very beautiful … plays with varying degrees of power, aggression and threat … can easily captivate …"
(Musika BE)

9 / 10
"… simply indefatigable … dark, undulating, homogeneous … holds bizarre surprises, whether it's a Black Metal insert, an unexpected drum theme, an instrument unrecognizable to the untrained ear … I really hope that this twenty-three minute EP is just the beginning of what the Scottish duo have in store for the Metal scene."
(Rozsdagyár)

4 / 5
"… infectious … keeping your body in a state of continuous motion, as the pulsating energy reaches the very depth of your soul … invigorating freshness … get 'Shade Beyond' in your ears!"
(Fjordhammer)

8 / 10
"Take equal parts Sojourner, Saor and Windfaerer and that gets you into the general area … grows on you after repeated listens … a solid start and has a promising future ahead of them."
(Folk Metal NL)

8 / 10
"… a sound of their own … production sounds very professional … very great sounding atmospheric and melodic mixture of Folk, Black and Death Metal …"
(A Different Shade Of Black Metal)

8 / 10
"No two songs on this album sound alike; each has its own atmosphere, charisma, melody and can convince me right away ... an energetic work ... exciting ..."
(KOBZR Magazine)

"… HAND OF KALLIACH does a tremendous job at keeping that energy, power, and all the sensations that a rock-solid work of Folk Metal needs in order to succeed where many others might slack to help make 'Shade Beyond' not only an interesting debut but an immensely promising one at that."
(Head-banger Reviews)

"… Gaelic and Celtic overtones that can be normally heard in traditional Scottish Folk Music and blend it with Epic Metal sounds … incredible range of Folk and epic Metal production … distorted guitars and incredible growls performed by the husband, balanced with the orchestral softness in the background and the wife’s almost faerie-like vocals is an enchanting listening experience."
(Miss Mephistopheles)

"… extremely promising throughout its nearly 24 minutes."
(Headbanger ES)

"… brutal and independent … you can almost feel the cold, whipping wind on the Scottish coast in your living room! … like Primordial, Cruachan or Waylander … very interesting …"
(Crossfire Metal)

"… like catapulted to the Middle Ages … with bewitching and catchy melodies … varied and very rich musically … a very good discovery … to be followed very closely … I will not be surprised to find them quickly signed on a label for a next album … I recommend this band to the fans of bands like Insomnium, Eluveitie or Leaves' Eyes."
(Metal Alliance)

"Album Of The Week … blending Death Metal with plenty of melody and Celtic folk components to create something exceptional and unlike anything else … give this independently-released debut EP a shot and see for yourself just how eclectic and satisfying our subculture can at times be! Be sure to follow …"
(ViaOmega)

"… if you love the darkest edges of the Metal genre and want something different I strongly urge you to check out this unique band with a unique vision that they will not compromise on."
(#560Reviews)

"An amazing work, personal and convincing, extreme and atmospheric with Folk parts reduced to the essential and, above all, performed by electric guitars with minimal inserts of other instruments … if you want a comparison on the way to compose and insert these parts, the Irish Primordial come to mind. Hand Of Kalliach prove to have a great potential and give us hope for future productions."
(The Murder Inn)

"… 'Shade Beyond' could be the soundtrack for those gloomy and cold days that are typical of Scotland and that we Folk/Viking metal lovers dream of in all seasons … fascinating …"
(Mister Folk)

"... definitely interesting for fans of any kind of Black Metal, but should probably appeal to one or two other listeners from other genres as well."
(Soundmagnet)

"… unique sound and unique atmosphere … creating an atmosphere with many layers and at the same time many effects that we cannot hear every day … atmospheric black … modern metal effects … neo-folk … industrial dark-wave and dramatically theatrical melodies … like a bridge we can walk between the magical melodies of the present and the past."
(Fémforgács)

"… great power and dynamics … a very noteworthy, unconventional debut …"
(Orkus Magazine)

"… fresh and authentic … a very passable debut …"
(Sonic Seducer Magazine)