Geasa

[Eoin McLove]

I fired on Angel's Cry for the first time in years, it's always one I go back to every few years to see if I can get into it- maybe this is the time. I've blathered on endlessly about the high regard I hold the Starside demo in, but the album disappointed me when it came out. The lineup had changed, the style had changed and the production had changed. It wasn't what I was hoping for from them but maybe with twenty three years under the bridge, it's about time for me to get over it and re-evaluateve. I'm on my second consecutive run through now, the first being in the car driving through the hills and now at home through the stereo, obligatory cup of tea as accompaniment.

My first impression is that the songs at times feel a bit aimless and drawn out but there are elements here that are working for me, like the great atmospheric use of keys and the layering of the guitars. There's a depth to the production that I'm beginning to appreciate. I still find the monotonous vocals a bit of a hurdle but there's a gloomy majesty to some of the better moments here that might start to hook me in.

I think certain songs on the follow up, Fate's Lost Son, worked really well even if the EP as a whole was a bit disjointed- I'm specifically thinking of the bizarre inclusion of a death metal song in the middle of an otherwise epic- focused pagan/ black metal record. The production was maybe a bit budget as well, but the good bits definitely shone through.

There were another couple of releases, Murder is the only other one I have, but they didn't really amount to much. The focus seemed lost by then.

I saw them live once or twice in the 00s and the gigs weren't the most thrilling so that didn't really help, but revisiting Angel's Cry, flaws and all, they at least had something unique about them that set them somewhat apart. The mix of doom, black metal and goth were the same ingredients detectable in the likes of early Primordial, Arcane Sun or Lunar Gate but none of these bands ended up sounding alike. 

In retrospect, there may have been something you could consider an Irish style brewing back then, it just never really settled into one particular form or another making it a little tricky to pin down.

https://youtu.be/1fJsQ648F1k

[Carnage]

Never really listened to them but I do remember seeing them in the Temple Bar Music Centre supporting... Primordial, I think? Would have been late '90s, possibly an album launch. Anyway, impressive live then.

(I remember once meeting Philly out in Ballyfeeerhmeh, with a mate who was buying those big clunky goth boots from him, I think he was in college there. Seemed alright.

This has nothing to do with anything.)

[Eoin McLove]

The demo is the business, if you haven't heard it.

I think Lankum might owe a little nod to Geasa's version of Spansill Hill 

[Paul keohane]

Caught them live a few times in the 90s/00s,the demo was great,got serious praise within the scene.Can remember when the album was being released ,it felt like a bit of a big deal that an Irish band were releasing an album on Season of Mist,but it didnt do a whole lot for me i must say.Haven't listened to it in donkeys years!

[jobrok1]

Definitely a unique Irish band on the scene at the time.
'Godslaughter' was the last album around 2005,  I think. It didn't get much attention and pretty much slipped under the radar for most folk.

Cheers for the reminder, Andy!
I have to grab them all off the shelves soon for a run of nostalgia listening.

[Eoin McLove]

I have Angel's Cry in the car again now for the week(s) ahead. Three listens today and I'm starting to pick stuff out that eluded me before. God bless hoarding, eh? 

[vinterland]

They supported Anathema on the latter's Judgement tour on 12/09/99. Same day as the All-Ireland between Kilkenny and Cork. Nearly sure the venue was Eamonn Doran's. Bought the album on the strength of their performance that night. Still throw it on the odd time for nostalgia's sake. Can't say I'm familiar with any of their other releases.

Never really listened to them but I do remember seeing them in the Temple Bar Music Centre supporting... Primordial, I think? Would have been late '90s, possibly an album launch. Anyway, impressive live then.

(I remember once meeting Philly out in Ballyfeeerhmeh, with a mate who was buying those big clunky goth boots from him, I think he was in college there. Seemed alright.

This has nothing to do with anything.)

[Bogmetaller]

I fucking love Fates Lost Son but if I remember correctly most people on MI thought it was shite??

[Eoin McLove]

I have Fate's Lost Son on now. Man, Seas is one hell of a song. It might be their best song since the demo. The production on this (first time listening through a really good sound system which helps) is fucking class, so I fully retract my earlier comment. The mix of acoustic and electric guitars works really well. Great production on the drums. I think John Kavanagh's vocals are great on this one- the vicious black metal parts are really effective and the clean vocal parts seem a bit more lively than on Angel's Cry.  A full album of this stuff would have been a real winner. I think the artwork is cool; nothing fancy, but it works. It would look nice on vinyl, but what are the chances.

Edit. Divine Reality. What a fucking banger!

I have to say, this is great all the way through. The only blip is the weirdly death metal opening on Heavenfall, but that song develops into something more in line with the vibe across the rest of the EP. I haven't had it on in a few years but found myself singing along to most of it. Savage little record. Starside next 

[Eoin McLove]

I fired on the Murder promo this morning. Can't remember the last time I listened to it. It would be interesting to hear these songs with the production from Fate's Lost Son behind them. The rehearsal quality of the recording doesn't give the music much room to breathe.

I'll have to grab a copy of Godslaughter some day if only to complete the collection. There are only one or two songs from it up on YouTube so I can't say how good, bad or indifferent it is.

[Eoin McLove]

Angel's Cry on in the car again today. That cover of Spansill Hill at the end made my toes curl as a young lad but I absolutely love it now. I would love to hear Simon and Ciaran (from Primordial) do an album of folk/trad kind of stuff together. I think they'd come up with something haunting and beautiful.

[Kailash]

They supported Anathema on the latter's Judgement tour on 12/09/99. Same day as the All-Ireland between Kilkenny and Cork. Nearly sure the venue was Eamonn Doran's. Bought the album on the strength of their performance that night. Still throw it on the odd time for nostalgia's sake. Can't say I'm familiar with any of their other releases.

[/quote]

i was at the Belfast leg of that tour, a Sat night in the Rosetta Bar. i've no memory of Geasa playing, god bless the drink   
i'm sure a few mates bought the album around this time and i remember listening to it a fair bit and liking it but never went back to it much.
always loved that cover art

[Eoin McLove]

Would love to see Starside, Angel's Cry (still listening to this on a weekly basis) and Fate's Lost Son get a vinyl release. I wonder could I get my hands on a Geasa tshirt this late into the game.

Edit. Starside on here now; such a great demo. I am sure I asked this year's ago on MI and can't remember the answer, but who was the guitarist,  Draíocht? Did he ever do anything else either before or after?

[Thorn]

Don't know about the guitarist but Starside is indeed a beauty and if you get any feedback re a Geasa t-shirt let us know , used to have one years ago but somewhere along the path it disappeared into that great t-shirt abyss. Also 'Angels Cry' has one of my favourite ever covers and I remember one of the band telling me about where the painting was hanging in Dublin at the time, not that I ever followed that up, it only interests me insofar as it's the visuals for a damn good album.

[Eoin McLove]

Man, Rite of Passage is such a great song. The riffs, the massive keyboards and the general interplay between the instruments is incredible. The vocals are even given a bit more restraint, allowing the majestic music to really breathe. The Second half of the album is probably the strongest overall, actually. Where Shadows are Borne keeps up a similar atmosphere pretty well and then into Starside, the end of which is so triumphant. Epic is the word. And then ending on Spansill Hill... I've really done a 180° turn on this album over the past year and a half. It's a beaut.