Rebel Against Me is the second album from Czech folk metal collective Cruadalach and although it’s good that they’re adventurous in their efforts and clearly don’t shy away from trying a whole host of different and unique approaches, the album as a whole leaves a little to be desired.
Cruadalach incorporate a lot of different styles and genres into their sound, but unfortunately it doesn’t quite translate well into the music, with things sounding more patched together rather than seamlessly interwoven into one piece, with the flow subsequently being quite jerky and somewhat all over the place – the genre and idea switches happen instantaneously, resulting in more of a Jekyll and Hyde feel than a well-constructed one. For example, Earth Cafe begins with a rather beautiful acoustic folksy introduction before the listener is thrown into a death metal section and it doesn’t quite fit.
However, that’s not to say that Rebel Against Me doesn’t have its merits because there’s plenty of powerful instrumental moments, particularly on the more folksy instruments which add a nice bit of intricacy to the music. In particular, the aforementioned introduction for Earth Cafe is stunning, and Life Worshipping Bastards have some tremendously atmospheric moments that complement the vocals perfectly.
There’s potential in Rebel Against Me, and plenty of it, but right now it doesn’t quite manage to go the distance.
5/10
