AlbumsJanuary 20, 20252,116 views

Saor Amidst The Ruins


Amidst The Ruins
1. Amidst the Ruins 2. Echoes of the Ancient Land 3. Glen of Sorrow 4. The Sylvan Embrace 5. Rebirth
2025 Season Of Mist
Our score 9

1/27/2025

Caledonian atmospheric black/folk metal is certainly a unique and niche sub-genre of metal but it's one of the world's most beautiful offerings. Saor (pronounced “soo-er”), the Scottish atmospheric black metal project led by Andy Marshall, has once again enriched the metal world with a captivating and evocative release with their latest album Amidst the Ruins, due to be released on February 7th via Season of Mist. The masterful blend of ethereal atmospheres, traditional Scottish folk elements and the raw intensity of black metal will take listeners on a journey through the beautifully rugged Scottish landscapes of history and emotion.

From the outset, Amidst the Ruins envelopes the audience in a rich, sonic landscape, weaving intricate musical tapestries that evoke the Scottish Highlands. The record opens with the sheer brutality of the title track, which perfectly sets the tone by skillfully blending ethereal orchestration with the ferocity of tremolo picking and intense blast beats. Andy's vocals scream with raw intensity and passion before the use of traditional instruments such as the tin whistle and the Uilleann pipes seamlessly weave their way through the impassioned fury. Towards the latter quarter of the track, Andy switches to clean, almost spiritually monastic vocals accompanied by contrasting female vocalisations from Ella Zlotos.

“Echoes of the Ancient Land” charges straight out the gate with fevered intensity whilst maintaining the haunting Celtic melodies. The pipes make their presence known once again accompanied by melancholic violin and heavy basslines. Dual clean vocals between Andy and Ella echo and soar to create a dynamic and mystical realm balanced with Andy's dissonant screams. Melodically rich and addictive guitar riffs and solos fly throughout, supported by the roar of intense drums. “Glen of Sorrow” is introduced by a mysterious, somber and melancholic guitar tone before a rousing sense of power and energy bursts forth, full of enticing melody and dark atmosphere.

“The Sylvan Embrace” presents a sense of longing and reflection but also one of determination, making it one of the most poignant tracks on the album. Full of emotive ambience, a spiritual awakening evoking the old gods as clean vocals and chants echo through the ether, nicely encapsulating the emotional depth of the record. “Rebirth” finally closes the record, reintroducing the ferocious black metal elements in one final push of power. The interplay between the haunting melodies, dramatic violin and relentless black metal elements complete with multilayered guitars and rich folk inspiration creates a captivating conclusion. 

The Bottomline: This record is not for the faint of heart. Each of the 5 tracks are monumental in nature with the shortest track being over 8 minutes long. Amidst the Ruins is a triumph for Saor and a testament to Andy's talent and vision. The record's blend of atmospheric black metal and traditional Scottish folk elements pays homage to the past but also pushes the boundaries of the genre, creating a powerful and immersive journey that will resonate with listeners for years to come.


15 comments

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anonymous 15 days ago

Having listened to all of his previous work and reading this, it really feels like this is going to be something special and I am super excited for it.

Bortslob 15 days ago

Gayor

anonymous 14 days ago

"Caledonian atmospheric black/folk metal is certainly a unique and niche sub-genre of metal but it's one of the world's most beautiful offerings" 😆😆

anonymous 14 days ago

"Caledonian" just say English bro , they're from England

united_ninety_three 14 days ago

stopped reading at "Caledonian atmospheric black/folk metal"

anonymous 14 days ago

You know you can just google what Caledonian means before looking this retarded

anonymous 14 days ago

"Caledonian atmospheric *BLACK*/folk metal" and received a 9. Is Zulu on this?

anonymous 14 days ago

Maybe this could grow on me, but it's gay as f*ck first listen. Like this is true neckbeard Lord of the rings dungeons and dragons nerd metal. This is the kind of music only the whitest European people could make

anonymous 14 days ago

Nice fife

anonymous 14 days ago

She was a saor girl the day that she met me.

anonymous 14 days ago

lambgoat once again telling white people to not appreciate their culture

anonymous 14 days ago

This is actually legit.

anonymous 13 days ago

I like twilight force and freedom call so I'm sure I'll dig this gay ass shit

anonymous 12 days ago

We're so back

anonymous 5 days ago

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