Cellar Darling

[MirrorMask]

Anyone has these guys under their radar?

Their three members were all part of Eluveitie, a swiss folk metal band. They were all close friends so when the drummer was fired, the other two left out of solidarity- the guitarist and Anna Murphy, the singer and hurdy gurdy player which is a sweet little thing immensely talented, with a unique voice that might appeal to those who love Anneke Van Giersbergen, Marcela Bovio and the likes - she doesn't sound like them, but she's in the same general category (if being somehow unique can be considered a category).

They play a weird but quite cool mix of metal with folkish and proggish influences - they have two albums out, the debut "This is the Sound" and the newly arrived "The Spell" - a concept album on the theme of "Death and the Maiden", revolving around a girl that falls in love with Death but Death casts the titletrackish spell on her to make her live forever instead.

I think the lead single for the new album, Insomnia, is a great introduction to what these guys can do - 7 minutes of heavy riffing, a most memorable haunting chorus, a blistering hurdy gurdy solo and an almost ambient spacey and dreamy section!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeXDYjDV2mw

If you liked the weird and trippy animations of the video, you can listen to one of the best songs of the debut album, the eerie Six Days (which has a lot of piano as well, and also a flute solo) which has the video made by the same artist:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiHt3qR4gzM

Also, one of the better songs off the new album is another seven minutes mid tempo epic piece, Death, once again in the same visual style:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDV_BeAZIUM

If you want something more straightforward, check the other leading tracks from their debut:

Black Moon, heavy and direct: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-5ZkRL-EV0
Avalanche, more atmospheric: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWMiBj0yDJg
Challenge, weird video but the song is quite catchy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DRkXJCRM64

[cramx3]

I saw them at ProgPower this past fall.  I watched a bit of their set, but didn't really find them terribly interesting.  Just my opinion, the folk elements just aren't my thing I guess.  The singer's performance was good though.  I recorded this from their set:

Cellar Darling - Under the Oak Tree / High Above These Crowns LIVE @ ProgPower USA 2018

[The Curious Orange]

I LOVE these guys! I cannot begin to tell you how much I've been gushing about them to anyone who'll listen. The Spell is seriously one of the best albums I've ever heard, and I get the same sort of thrill that I used to get from DT. They might just be my new favourite band...

The sounds Anna gets out of that hurdy-gurdy are amazing, she's re-inventing the instrument in much the same way Ian Anderson did with the flute. And the song-writing! Beneath that sound, each and every song is so different, so unique. Did I mention I'm a fan??

[MirrorMask]

I saw them at ProgPower this past fall.  I watched a bit of their set, but didn't really find them terribly interesting.  Just my opinion, the folk elements just aren't my thing I guess.  The singer's performance was good though.  I recorded this from their set:

Cellar Darling - Under the Oak Tree / High Above These Crowns LIVE @ ProgPower USA 2018

Nice vid! but I wouldn't claim those two songs are their best and well, if that style isn't your thing, the singer alone won't change your tastes.

I LOVE these guys! I cannot begin to tell you how much I've been gushing about them to anyone who'll listen. The Spell is seriously one of the best albums I've ever heard, and I get the same sort of thrill that I used to get from DT. They might just be my new favourite band...

The sounds Anna gets out of that hurdy-gurdy are amazing, she's re-inventing the instrument in much the same way Ian Anderson did with the flute. And the song-writing! Beneath that sound, each and every song is so different, so unique. Did I mention I'm a fan??

Hehe glad to see some appreciation for them! I was supposed to see them sunday, but they cancelled the two italian dates. Bummer. At least I saw them (even for free!) last year at a celtic festival, Anna was beyond amazing - beside the technical perfection, she had an intensity and passion in her singing that made actually a pleasure to just stand there and watch them perform. Also she's such a sweetie off the stage, down to earth and almost shy, that you can't help having a sweet spot for her.

The Spell was definitively a grower for me, at first listenings I was puzzled, but with each new spin I appreciate it more and more. Looking forward to the videos for all the songs, if they'll actually go through with that.