One of the originating bands of the folk metal genre, Cruachan, is gearing up to play Israel in September in a double headliner with Viking metal act, Månegarm. The show has been billed 'Celts V Vikings', somewhat of an irony, considering that three members of Cruachan appear in the historical TV drama,Vikings.
The act's invitation to play in Israel hasn't been without controversy, says vocalist/guitarist Keith Fay:
'Mostly, the reaction has been positive but we have had a few comments and emails telling us to boycott Israel.We are not a band with a political agenda. We are musicians. When the show was announced, I had a message from a 14-year-old fan telling us how happy she was that she will see us in her home town. That's why we tour ' for our fans.'
The Dublin based act, which plays an innovative blend of Irish traditional music and metal, has seen their profile rise over the past couple of years following a number of overseas shows including a successful tour of Russia in March of this year. The band is set to return to Russia in July to play a festival show on the fringes of the Arctic Circle in Arkangelsk, before undertaking gigs in Ukraine, Czech Republic and Germany.
The band are also hard at work recording the as yet untitled follow up to 2012'sBlood On The Black Robealbum, which is set for release in early November
Cruachan are:
Keith Fay ' Guitar/Vocals/Irish instrumentationJohn Fay ' Tin whistle
John Ryan ' ViolinKieran Ball ' Guitar
Eric Fletcher ' BassMauro Frison - Drums
