SouthSideoftheSky To hell or to Connaught?

Released one year after the band’s second full length album, The Middle Kingdom, and one year before their third full length album, Folk-Lore, this EP features four tracks, one of which would later be included on the brilliant Folk-Lore. This song is, of course, the outstanding Ride On which features Shane Mac Gowan from The Pouges on guest vocals resulting in an unlikely but wonderful duet with Cruachan’s own Karen Gilligan (plus some more aggressive vocals towards the end by Cruachan leader Keith Fey). Ride On is really a great song that I like a lot, but since it is included on the Folk-Lore album there is no reason to by this EP for the sake of that song alone.

The other three tracks are all good too, however, and this makes this EP a worthwhile purchase. Even if generally less interesting than any of the songs that made it onto Folk-Lore, the songs here are fine Folk Metal songs in the same style as the Folk-Lore material. Maeves March was first featured on the band’s debut from 1995 and is here presented in a re-recorded, much faster, version with far better sound quality. The best song here (apart from Ride On itself), however, is To Hell Or To Connaught? which incorporates at least one traditional Irish Folk melody, also utilized by Cruachan’s idols (and mine) Horslips. Make sure you get Cruachan’s three most recent full length albums (especially their masterpiece Folk-Lore) before you get this EP, but if you have those albums already this is a nice addition to your collection.