(Trollfiend displays his erudition about Hungary and about Hungarian folk-metal band Dalriada in this guest post. I’m enjoying laughing my ass off while learning about new metal. And Hungarian pizza.)
The tiny landlocked nation of Hungary in Central Europe is home to, uh…um…wait, I think Bela Lugosi was born there. And, uh…the inventor of the Rubik’s cube. And incidentally when I attempted to Google edutaining facts about the country, “Hungary Howie’s” restaurant was the first thing to come up, so I can only assume pizza was invented there as well. It is also home to a massive and diversified metal scene (some members of which have already appeared in these hallowed halls, such as Thy Catafalque, Gire, Slytract, Mytra, Meankind, and I Divine).
Hungary’s land mass is approximately 36,000 square miles. Preliminary research suggests that at least 87.9% of this land mass is comprised of metal bands. Aside from being the birthplace of the guy who discovered vitamin C (the actual vitamin, not the orange-haired pop singer), it’s also the home of HangSúly, the national Hungarian Metal Awards. Metal Awards? Do WE have that? I mean I know not every country can boast spawning the creator of the three-phase alternating current electric locomotive, but that AND a national metal awards show? It must be something in the water (of Lake Héviz, the second largest thermal lake IN THE WORLD).
I’m only mentioning Hungary here because I am totally craving a pizza right now.
No, wait, there was another reason. Folksy folk metal folk band Dalriada is from there as well. By “there” I mean Hungary, home of the largest medicinal bath house in Europe. Now I know Dalriada is going to be a hard sell to most of the NCS crowd: aside from the clean female vocals, it’s motherfucking PEPPY. Peppy as shit. I wouldn’t lie to you about something like that. (more after the jump . . .)
If, like me, you’re intimately familiar with Hungarian folk music (don’t ask) you’ll immediately recognize its presence in this band’s music. There’s a lot of violins. Seriously, the way the guy saws at his instrument in this band, I’m surprised he hasn’t severed a limb. Also, true fact: if you watch the “Hajdútánc” video it’s quite clear that the violinist is, in fact, Bill Murray, and not Attila Fajkusz as the album credits suggest.
Dalriada’s discography looks like this:
A Walesi Bárdok (demo – 2003)
Fergeteg (studio – 2004)
Jégbontó (studio – 2006)
Kikelet (studio – 2007)
Szelek (studio – 2008)
Arany-album (studio – 2009)
Ígéret (studio – 2011)
Interesting fact: aside from the demo and their album dedicated to 19th century Hungarian poet János Arany (guess which one that is), all their album titles are the names of the months (in order) in ancient Hungarian. Also, the discography was invented by Hungarian musical composer Erno Diskografisz. I might be making that up. But if you’re counting, that is six-full length studio albums to this band’s credit. So it’s safe to say they know what they’re doing. And what they’re doing is undeniably folking awesome.
If you’re not already a fan of folk metal a) why am I even talking to you, and b) this band is not going to make you a convert. If you are a fan, congratulations! You are a superior human being and will probably like Dalriada. The main stumbling block that I can see is Laura Binder’s impassioned but clean vocals. It’s not ALL clean – she puts some harshes in there every so often, and her bandmates contribute both clean and harsh vocals as well. But Moonsorrow this is not – there is no sneering blackness here.
Don’t get me wrong, Dalriada is definitely not one of those hard rock bands dressed up like metal – this ain’t no Evanescence either. I’m going to recommend a ‘showcase’ song off each album and recommend that if anything I’ve said makes you wary, listen to their latest album (this year’s Ígéret) first, because they’ve definitely embraced some heavier elements in their later work.
Fergeteg (‘January’): Listen to “A Walesi Bárdok 2” and you will hear symphonic keys, catchy riffs, some chuggage, a little vocal ping-pong between male and female leads, and some quality growling. It’s folky, upbeat, and metal as fuck.
Jégbontó (‘February’): “Hajnalünnep” not only features some punishing double-kick drumming and an awesome Hammer Horror-worthy cathedral organ bridge, it also has an umlaut in the name, which everyone knows is metal as shit.
Kikelet (‘March’): “Szentföld” is your basic metal stomper thundering away under the soaring vocals . . . it has an almost choral bridge and a fucking umlaut and will make with the head bangage.
Szelek (‘April’): At some point Dalriada apparently figured out that umlauts = metal because this album boasts the awesomely named song “Tavaszköszöntő”, which is like an umlaut studded metal locomotive barreling down the tracks and into your head.
Arany-album: Don’t worry, they didn’t skip a month. They get back to that cleverness on the next album. This is a bit of a departure from the band’s more or less signature sound. . . oh wait, no it isn’t. I was going to say ‘it’s more melodic’ but check out “Zách Klára” . . . I believe NCS’s own Islander listened to this track and used the term “whirling dervish”, which is a pretty accurate description. This song also features the metallest (it’s a WORD, damn it) violin playing you’ll ever hear.
Ígéret (‘May’): This is a perfect example of a band refining its sound over the course of its career. It’s heavy, uses a lot more harshes, and for what it is (folky), it will kick your ass. Aside from “Hajdútánc”, I have to recommend “Igazi Tûz” . . . it’s a bit more ballady and violin-laced, but against a continuous double kick backdrop. And “A Hadak Útja”, which opens with a lumbering bass line and a harsh growl that would put them in a league with any of the blacker folk bands you can think of.
Give Dalriada a listen; they will conquer you like Hungary conquered Transylvania in the late 9th century, establishing it as a voivodeship of the Kingdom of Hungary for the next five hundred years. Suck it, Transylvania!!
Links:
Official video for “Hajdútánc”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9F7b4skyUy4
Dalriada official site: http://www.dalriada.hu/
Dalriada Myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/dalriadaband with some free streamage.
HangSúly official site: http://www.hang-suly.hu/2011/
EDITOR’S NOTE: You know how we like to give you some music along with our reviews. So that’s what I’m doing. I picked this one based solely on Trollfiend’s review. Because the song name is umlaut-studded, and because Trollfiend said it sound like a locomotive barreling down the tracks: “Tavaszköszöntő”
And to the first person who leaves a Comment with the correct phonetic pronunciation of the name, I will send a free NCS t-shirt, wherever in the world you may live. And you are in luck, because I wouldn’t know the correct phonetic pronunciation of that word to save my life.
[audio:https://www.nocleansinging.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/11-Tavaszköszönt_.mp3|titles=Dalriada – Tavaszköszönt_]50 Responses to “DALRIADA”
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Big thanks to ‘groverXIII’ for introducing me to this band!
Who is that? I thought his name was August.
That’s why I put it in quotes. I think it’s his secret identity.
Haha… no problem, good sir. They are a great band.
I did want to say that any list of Hungarian bands needs to have Sear Bliss mentioned, though.
I second that nomination. But didn’t most of the Sear Bliss people leave and start I Divine? I wasn’t sure what had happened to Sear Bliss after that.
I should get this one right, after all Hungarian is part of the Finno-Ugric language family: Tavashösönto! A sad attempt, I know. Saying it out loud makes me feel like a studdering retard. Allthough I feel like one relativily often, even when not trying to correctly pronounciate crazy Hungarian words.
About the text: entertaining and, above all, educating! I even sorta liked the music. Mostly the instrumentals, but the clean vocals weren’t half bad either. Perhaps, not exactly the type I’d see my self listening to on daily basis.
I had no idea Finnish and Hungarian were part of the same language family. I should have known. Written words from both languages are unpronounceable to a native English speaker. At least to this native English speaker. However, I have also found that 50% of written English words are unpronounceable. This may be why I enjoy the words “fuck”, “fucking”, and “fucked” so much.
I’m pretty sure “Tavaszköszöntő” is pronounced like this: “taavaszkosvonto”.
Or, if you’re from America, “Tava-skoooz untooo!”
Or, if you’re from the MidWest: “Tava-whatzit?”
I’m afraid I have to disqualify you dude. You submitted three guesses instead of one. It’s too bad, because “Tava-whatzit” is the correct answer.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
Also, while it’s not Yum-Yum Orange, I now feel like donning a cheerleader uniform, putting my hair in pigtails and killing some zombies. What, zombies? Yes, ZOMBIES!! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRfroCeDk2E)
Was she speaking Hungarian? Didn’t the Hungarians invent the chainsaw?
I’m pretty sure she was and they did.
Maybe they also invented zombies….
And lollipops…
First sparkly vampires, now zombies and glitter. I give up.
Send pics, please.
Do not send pics, please.
Post videos pls kthx
A live stream pls!
Do not post videos or live stream, please.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/67299189@N04/6126719989/
Shit. And I asked so politely, too.
In my defense, you could have not clicked the link…
But then you’d burn with wonder and desire…
So, yah, I guess it’s my fault for being so…alluring.
I’m a fragrance from Ralph Lauren!
Admit it!!! You all jerked off to this picture while using your tears of bloods as lubrication.
IT’S THE EYES!! THE EYYEEEEEEEEEESSSS COMPEL YOUUUUUUUUUUU!!!
Actually, now I don’t think I’ll be able to get it up until, like, December.
Jus’ doing my part to stop overpopulation, I guess.
You needn’t have bothered. That’s the great thing about inter-species sex – pregnancy is impossible.
Tell that to a liger.
Or a mule.
Or…what are those zebra/horse things called?
Zebra/horse hybrid = hobra. If not, it should be.
After looking at that picture, at first I thought the odd sensation in my throat was impending vomitus, but as it turned out it was actually my own colon trying to strangle me to death.
Are you sure it wasn’t your testicles ejaculating in reverse?
Not entirely. It’s a fine line.
This is why I make sure to stay more than one genus away from homo sapiens in my romantic relationships.
How does your wife feel about this???
Oh. Now I get all the lorises…
Umm…
Cool!
Ha ha. My wife thinks the lorises are just pets Ha ha.
I don’t know, but one time I saw a ze-donk at the circus. I’ll leave it to your imagination which animals that is a hybrid of.
Tijuana hooker + donkey?
Zebra and ba-donka-donk?
I’m pretty sure you’re both correct. At the same time.
Thats a goddamn fraud! Those aren’t the same hot legs from before.
Shhhhhh. We really do NOT want to see Phro’s real legs in the miniskirt again. Really.
Denial is a terrible thing, Islander. You know you want more.
Click on the HangSuly link and scroll down to the May (Majus) releases… the cover art for Decaying Incest is making me giggle. It’s all, like… “SURPRISE! HA HA!”
Hmmm…. You know, if metal bands keep emerging from Hungary, Finnish metal bands may have something to worry about.
This is a great band but there are some more you have to discover as well:
http://mwsmusic.bandcamp.com/
http://harvester666.blogspot.com/2011/04/we-are-nottebohm-case-ep-2010.html
http://itoldmywrath.bandcamp.com/
http://soundcloud.com/perfectnoisestudio/sets/theministers/s-Q1yMQ
http://www.myspace.com/angertea
Bye
Thanks for these recommendations, and sorry for the delay in your post appearing (our anti-spam software held it up because of the number of links).
NOP. I just love you’re blog an I think this bands are maybe worth a try. If you say they suck I accept as well 🙂
Yes, thanks. I have an issue with being told I “have to” do something (I think it’s a mental defect I have- I’m sure my wife would agree).. but the second post seems much more like a polite suggestion ;D
I took it more as an expression of enthusiasm than a command. 🙂
Sorry about that 🙂 That wasn’t ment to be anything like that. Mea culpa (^o^)
Don’t worry, not a problem. I wasn’t serious, and like I said, new recommendations are always appreciated.
I accidentally stumbled upon this.
Tavaszköszöntő is pronounced in a way something like Tovos cussuntuh. You are welcome. Also, those ‘names of the months’ aren’t actual old Hungarian names, they are made up, it’s a common misinformation =)