Kildonan is the latest work on the prolific Hamish MacKintosh, drummer for such bands as Ageless Summoning, Belliciste, Sluagh, and Úir among others. However, he also maintains the solo-project Vostok, which he began in 2003 and with whom he release an EP and a couple splits during the 2010s. With Kildonan, he both revives the spirit of Vostok and embarks upon a new journey altogether.
"Kildonan is a continuation of my previous solo-project, Vostok," MacKintosh says. "Vostok was primarily concerned with human nature. It took its name from the untouched ecosystem beneath Lake Vostok - a rare example of human restraint. However, with the drilling of the ice sheet in 2012 combined with the project increasingly drawing influence from the history and landscape of the Scottish Highlands, it became apparent that a change in name was required."
To that, MacKintosh chose Kildonan: "When choosing a new name, it made sense to choose somewhere I have a strong connection with. My father’s side of the family lived in and around the Strath of Kildonan and were amongst the families forcibly evicted from those lands during the Clearances of the 19th Century. At the time, a form of feudalism existed, which survives to this day. The Duke of Sutherland, like the majority of Scottish landowners, came to value sheep more than the people that inhabited the land, and they were evicted to Clearance Villages on the coast such as Helmsdale and Badea. Due to such upheaval, many decided to leave Scotland entirely and left for the New World - many settling in New Zealand and Canada. Part of my family still own the Croft my family built after being cleared to Helmsdale, and I often visit the area."
Kildonan's first public work, Embers is a six-song / 41-minute monolith of deliriously swirling black metal, mesmerizing and melodic in equal measure. Nods to gods of dissonance like later Deathspell Omega and Blut Aus Nord are prominent, but there's equally a second wave-derived spellcasting not unlike the English atmospheric Black Metal movement as ushered forth by the likes of Altar of Plagues. Most unique are MacKintosh's vocals here; from hysteric desperation to an almost-stentorian croon, Embers' atmosphere becomes even wider and wilder with these impassioned-yet-tasteful timbres. Amazingly, some of the music dates back over 15 years, but the Covid lockdown allowed MacKintosh time to finalize ideas and finish the writing process.
Naturally, the content of Kildonan's debut album is not without its own huge sense of import. As he explains, "the inspiration is primarily derived from the culture and history of this area, but also the landscape. I work in forestry and am a keen hill-walker, spending much of my time in the hills, coastline, and woodland of the area. Kildonan doesn’t seek to romanticize the past - rather, to ensure that it is not forgotten and can be learned from. The lyrics delve into several subjects such as land reform, reforestation, ecological restoration, depopulation of the Highlands etc. The music and lyrics draw from the sorrow and horror of those times and seek to find a sense of hope for the future."
Indeed, hope looms large over these Embers, dark as the root content may be - a refreshing change of pace for tried-and-true black metal. Same goes for the clean 'n' effervescent recording, handled by Barshasketh's Guillaume Martin at Sonorous Studio, with guitars recorded by Andy Campbell (Barshasketh, Sluagh, Bròn etc). Roam literal landscapes as well as those of the mind with Kildonan.
credits
released December 13, 2024
KILDONAN is Hamish MacKintosh
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Sonorous Studio.
AC - Guitar
HM - Bass, drums and vocals
Album cover by Karolina Szymkiewicz.
Logo by View from the Coffin.
This album is dedicated to all who lost their homes during the Highland Clearances.
A new compilation series featuring cat-loving metal bands from every state donating their tracks for local animal welfare organizations. Bandcamp New & Notable Jun 12, 2018
