15 July 2006 |
Update from Cíaran BEALTAINE AND SOLSTICE SALUTATIONS More belated greetings, but I'm sure you are all accustomed to it by this stage. Luckily I have some information to share, with the ever elusive carved in stone plans tantalisingly close. Firstly, we have returned safely from our first sojourn to Germany, where we were honoured to perform at the Pagan Nights Festival in Bavaria. The people we met were as hospitable as one could only dream of, despite their insane notion of providing us with free beer at all times. Needless to say, this Irish band fulfilled all the criteria of our national stereotype. The setting for the Festival was stunning, adjacent to a reconstructed Celtic village in the heartland of the Bavarian Forest. We hadn't played live for a year or so and the rustiness was plain to us in our live performance, but with the vast majority of our slip ups coming in our new songs, our sloppiness wasn't evident to the attentive and appreciative audience. Playing outdoors in a Festival environment was never going to be an ideal way of getting the sound we required, yet we somehow managed to pull it off, despite the onstage monitors becoming more and more redundant as the set progressed. We can and will play much better in the future. The Wolfchant horde were genial and generous hosts with their live performance being particularly pleasing to these ears. Eternal hails go to each and every member of Wolfchant, Markus Eck, and all the superb staff from the bar. We met so many cool people that we could write a list as long as your arm here, so, suffice to say, hails to all those we met at Pagan Nights ! We have finally booked a studio. Yes, it is actually true!! We will record in Dublin at Alderwood studios during the months of September and October. Unfortunately it will be mostly weekends due to work commitments etc but from a positive perspective, at least we can travel there easily from our own homes. We will make an announcement on the Record Label we have chosen within the coming months but I can safely say this, the Label will be no household name as we think trust and total commitment are the most important aspects of a working/business arrangement. We will take an unwanted break from our frantic studio preparations to play a concert in Dublin on Saturday July 29th at the Voodoo lounge. The reason we are breaking our self imposed 'no more gigs until the album is recorded' policy is simple, the Cause of the concert itself. The Irish government have approved a motorway through the Tara/Skryne valley [ the site of the Ancient Capital of our island and the Seat of the High Kings ], which will result in the loss of most of its Archaeology, which, incidentally is one of the most important Archaeological sites in the whole of Europe. Add to this the fact that the aura/atmosphere of the area will be tainted by the incessant traffic and resultant fuel fumes and it's clear to see why so many of us are seething with rage at these proposals. We must act we must make our protesting voices heard, and whether or not we succeed in halting the destructive route at least we have stood up and had our say, and who knows, perhaps something CAN be done. The concert is not only to raise awareness among the Irish Metal Community however, as the proceeds will go to Vincent Salafia, who has tried to sue the Irish government for their treasonous actions and has been left with a staggeringly high legal bill. Such Noble actions deserve our attention and support, so, 7 bands have offered their services free of charge for this concert. Each and every band, James and Craobh Crua deserve congratulations for making this stand. I am sure that the Ancient Gods and the Spirits of our Ancestors will be pleased with our collective efforts. Hopefully a large crowd will be in attendance and a lot of money will be raised. So, if it is within your power to be there, please, do not hesitate about attending. We are presently editing a video of our German expedition so expect to have this online within the next month or so. It will be rough and ready and the sound may not be the best but it will hopefully give you an indication of us as a band and as drunken eejits. There will be an edited and unedited version, with the non edited version reserved for Clan Waylander members only. We have decided to organise a fan-club type of thing for the true fans of Waylander and anyone who joins can proudly proclaim themselves Clan Waylander warriors. Details will appear soon but I will give you a rough idea of what's entailed here. For a nominal fee, members will receive discounts on all purchases, everything will be signed by the band, we will mail out exclusive rehearsal recordings of new material, with many more little bonuses in the pipeline too. Hopefully there will be sufficient interest. Many thanks to you all for taking the time to read through these ramblings. Until next time keep thy metaphorical swords as sharp as thy collective wits, Walk with Honour, and as always, BUA NO BAS !!!
ArdChieftain |
17 May 2006 |
The official Waylander site is now online at www.waylander.org. |
20 March 2006 |
Update from Cíaran IMBOLC UPDATE This is later than usual but there is good reason, a few loose ends needed tying up before confirmation. Thank you for your patience and hopefully the following news will have made the wait worth-while. Waylander are proud to announce that we have confirmed our first ever German gig at the Pagan Night Festival in Bavaria, Germany on June 10th. We are obviously thrilled to have finally achieved a long sought after and overdue milestone and without a shadow of a doubt this performance will be merely one of many on mainland Europe and beyond in 2006. Anyone reading this who promotes gigs or knows someone who does, don.t be shy about getting in touch. Remember though, that the Waylander coffers are filled with nothing but cobwebs............... The last days of Winter and the opening few of Spring has finally seen the completion of the 9 songs which will appear on the new album. We are now at the stage of fine tuning all the parts and it shouldn.t be too much longer until we are studio ready. The 9 songs for the new album in no particular order are : Walk with Honour, Galloping Gaels, Takers of Heads, Usurpers of our Legacy, To Dine in the Otherworld, As the Deities Clash, Bru na Boinne, Beyond the Ninth Wave and Elemental Chaos. The promos have been/ are in the process of, being sent to Labels, so rest assured as soon as we know anything you will be the first to know. As soon as we come to an arrangement with a label we will enter a studio with all haste. We are chomping at the bit as it stands ! It is almost impossible to talk about release dates at this stage but June is very much the aim. The re-release of Reawakening Pride Once Lost has been selling quite rapidly which augers well and should see the vinyl version rear it.s beautiful head sooner rather than later. We are getting one final batch of Pure Pagan Metal shirts done. Sizes will be medium, large and extra large, price will be £8 + Postage and can be obtained by e-mailing any member of the band. Waylander are proud to announce that we will be working with an Artistic genius for the Honour Amongst Chaos album. None other than Kris Verwimp, who should be well known to most of you by this stage. All the pieces are finally slotting into place, momentum has gathered, blowing some of the dark clouds away. Until next time, BUA NO BAS !!!
ArdChieftain |
1 February 2006> |
US distributor The End Records has the Reawakening... reissue in stock. |
15 January 2006> |
The Reawakening Pride Once Lost reissue is now available from Midhir Records. |
4 January 2006> |
Waylander is looking for artists interested in creating the cover for the upcoming album - Honour Amongst Chaos. For more info, visit the forum. (Click here for the relevant topic.) |
10 November 2005 |
Update from Cíaran Samhain's greetings to you all ! May the time between times prove beneficial to one and all. At long last, the much talked about Promo cd is finally ready ! The sound could have been better and the tempos refined a lot more but we feel it's of a decent enough quality to use as a tool to remind the world that Waylander are very much alive and kicking in 2005. At least one of the songs will be available to download from this Site or if anyone wants the cd, they can send us a blank cd, and some pennies toward postage and packing. In the uk £1.50 or 6 first class Stamps should cover it. Ireland and Europe, 3 euro, r.o.w. 5 euro. 4 Ballinteggart Road, Battlehill, Co.Armagh, BT62 4HN, N.Ireland. We are still on schedule to have the album written by the year's end. At the moment 5 songs are more or less completed, with 3 other songs in various stages of development. We've decided not to bother with a cover song after all as it seems like everyone takes that route. We prefer to tread our own pathways. If the 8 songs aren't enough, we will write another. Reawakening Pride Once Lost looks well with the proper logo now. The re-release of this album with some old demo tracks as bonus material will now officially take place in December via Ulster's Midhir Records. Pre-orders are likely, try www.midhirrecords.com Many thanks to Dave Briggs [ of Runecaster fame ] for recording our promo for us, it is greatly appreciated and I'm sure we all took something positive from the experience. We are now contacting Record Labels and weighing up our studio options and as soon as we know anything you will be the first to know of it ! Until next time, keep the ancient fires burning in your hearts, Bua no Bas !! [ victory or death ] ArdChieftain |
7 November 2005 |
Added mp3 of King of the Fairies (right click to save). |
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Update from Cíaran Another statement, another tale to tell, it seems. Recent acquisition, Alan Connolly has had to resign his position due to health reasons. All at Clan Waylander would like to wish Alan luck with his health and future musical enterprises. Gaz Murdock, who previously had played session drums and bass, stepped into the fray at Day of Darkness on rhythm guitar and done as well as could be expected with less than a weeky been welcomed into the Clan. We fully expect this to be our final line-up change for several years to come. I do love to tempt fate !! So, has anything positive been going on in the world of Waylander, I hear you all enquire, and justifiably so. Well, there is finally a stirring in the Beast. Song-writing has been going well, with a studio in the process of being booked for the recording of the much talked about 2 song promo. The 2 songs to be recorded will be Walk with Honour and Galloping Gaels as well as rough versions of 2 other completed songs. Expect the promo to be available to the public in October, which, incidentally will finally see the re-release of our cult debut album, Reawakening Pride Once Lost. Another update should be here before very long, which will hopefully clarify, as well as add to, this statement. Bua no Bas !!
ArdChieftain | |
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An interview with Cíaran is posted on Metal Coven. | |
20 May 2005 | Update from Cíaran- New album update, Skyforger shows, lineup update, etc... |
20 May 2005 | Update from Cíaran - Skyforger tour report. |
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Added mp3's of With Veins Afire and A Hero's lament. Go to Discography -> Reawakening Pride Once Lost -> Details | |
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The official Waylander forum is now hosted by Metal Coven. Click the link in the page header to access. | |
Update from Ciaran: What does not kill you makes you stronger. Waylander are back in full swing with the addition of Gareth Murdock [ ex Pallid Flesh ] on drums. The long overdue 2 song promo will soon be recorded, with the studio already booked for October 2nd. The 2 songs to be recorded are, ' Walk with Honour ' and ' Taker of Heads '. The rest of October/November will be spent completing the songs for the ' Honour amongst chaos ' album. Once the finances have been put in place this album will finally be recorded. The gig with ' The Lord weird slough feg ' in Belfast was a huge success, with the rapturous crowd response almost bringing a tear to the eye. Mighty hails to Danny Angus from Pariah Child fanzine for putting us on the bill, and to each and every person who attended and gave us their support. It seems that the magical combination, in terms of band members has finally been attained with an almost overwhelming amount of energy running wild on stage. It goes without saying that Waylander are ecstatic to be back in the ring........... Ulster's very own ' Midhir records ' have kindly agreed to re-release ' Reawakening Pride Once Lost ' on cd, with a vinyl version to follow. The tentative release date at this stage is February 2005. Expect a few bonus tracks and maybe some different artwork. Waylander are now selling ' Pure Pagan Metal ' shirts for girls. The front will be without the knot, with the logo across the chest. We expect delivery in mid October but pre-orders are more than welcome. Send well hidden cash to the following address for all Waylander enquiries and orders. 4 Ballinteggart Road, Battlehill, Co. Armagh. BT62 4HN. N. Ireland. E-mail - ArdChieftain@hotmail.com Waylander are in negociations with promoters and bands from Germany and France at the moment with the band's first European excursion becoming closer to reality as the weeks roll by.
Take care one and all, WALK WITH HONOUR
ArdChieftain
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Update from Ciaran: Greetings and salutations to you all. I hope your Lughnasadh celebrations were as productive and enjoyable as ours. Once again there is news on the band personnel front which for once is a pleasure to reveal. Fearghal Rua has rejoined the Clan on guitars and has slotted perfectly back into his rightful position. Again, there is movement on the drumstool as Conor who had been helping us out could no longer give the required commitment, and as luck would have it we found someone to replace him in the form of Gaz, who will play our upcoming gig. So, for the first time in 9 months, Waylander have a full line up. Rehearsal is a pleasure once again with progress being remarkably rapid all things considered. Expect an update on the progress of the album soon.
Which brings us to ' live ' news. Waylander will play as main support
to american Metal maestros, The Lord Weird Slough Feg at their Belfast show
in the Rosetta bar on Friday 3rd September.
Rosetta bar, Belfast Friday September 3rd This will most likely be Waylander's only live performance of 2004.......Be there..... WALK WITH HONOUR
ArdChieftain | |
Update from Cíaran (9 July 2004):
Again, misfortune has reared her spiteful head and planted an almightily
large spanner in the works over the last several months. Revolving doors
time again, I'm afraid. In February, drummer Nick handed in his resignation,
which was a shock indeed, only for Fearghal to also resign in April/May.
Suddenly, only myself on vocals and Michael on bass were left. However we
soon dusted ourselves down, auditioning a guitarist a week or so after the
latter resignation, and within a few short weeks, Saul McMichael [ ex
Whiplash ] was welcomed into the Waylander Clan as the new guitarist.
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Update from Cíaran (15 December 2003): Waylander regretfully announce the departure of guitarist Kevy Canavan from the band. I suppose musical differences in terms of style and vision would sum up the situation best. The departing of ways was amicable and we wish Kevy luck with gamabomb and other musical projects. We will continue as a 4 piece for the present, but are accepting applications for the vacant guitarists slot. We seek a guitarist who is confidant in their playing ability, is creative, will contribute to the band, and whose influences range from Thrash, to Death to Black to Doom. At least a passing knowledge of folk music would be an advantage, as would prior knowledge of both the music and philosophies of Waylander 100% dedication is the minimum requirement. Rehearsal is every saturday near Portadown, Co.Armagh. Do you know anyone who'd be interested ?? Frustrated with your present band ?? | |
Update from Cíaran (15 December 2003): The gigs with Ancient Rites in Dublin and Sabbat in London went well, we weren't note perfect but we're certainly getting there judging by the great responses at these shows, in particular, the London show. Thanks to both Invictus and Arcane Promotions for these opportunties, in particular Paul and Flic who looked after us so well in London. I hold the gig with Sabbat in highest regard, as both Sabbat and Skyclad inspired me to form Waylander all those years ago. I can safely say that this was a dream scenario for at least 3/4 of the band !!
ArdChieftain | |
Stuart Blackwood's pictures of Waylander's performance at Bloodstock 2003 | |
Update from Cíaran (6 September 2003): Our Bloodstock warm up show in Warrenpoint went ok with sound problems, broken strings and broken kick pedal adding to the mayhem. We somehow managed to hold it together, not bad considering it was Kevy's 1st gig and Fearghal's 2nd !!! A very nervous Waylander took to the Darwin suite stage at the Bloodstock Festival, and soon lost those as the set progressed and we didn't let ourselves down despite the fact that this gig came a month too early for this brand newlineup.Thanks go to the crowd for such a great reception and to Vince and Martin for putting us on the bill and to all those who bought Waylander shirts.
The shirts now comein medium, large and extra large. any queries - e-mail me. Plans in relation to the new mateial are ever changing so when something more definite is known it'll be posted here first. There are 2 live dates on the horizon, the first as support to Ancient Rites in Dublin's Eamon Dorans n Saturday 1st November [ which is Samhain, of course !! ] the second being as main support for Thrash Legends Return to the Sabbat in London's Camden Underworld on Saturday November 15th. It's amazing o be plying with bands you like, and what a bonus to have the chance to play with one of your heroes in SABBAT. That's all for now my Warriors, Witches, Druids and friends. Until ext we converse remember, always,
ArdChieftain | |
From Máirtín Mac Cormaic: "Another piece of news is that Waylander will share a split-7" vinyl release with Cruachan at some point in the future, as part of Sentinel Records' series of Irish vinyl..." | |
Update from Cíaran (6 July 2003):
"The album nears completion - there will be 8 songs in total and the tentative plan at the moment is to record with Stuart Anstis of C.O.F. fame, sometime in September, meaning a release date of 2003. "Waylander are now busy preparing songs for their appearance at the Bloodstock festival in England at the end of August, where it is hoped to play 3 brand new songs as well as the old favourites. "Plans to playin Ireland with the legendary Sabbat, at the end of September are at an advanced stage. With gig offers pouring in, this is looking like Waylander's busiest and most exciting year yet !!!" | |
Update from Cíaran (5 February 2003):
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4 Feb 03 |
Cíaran sent an email with some recent band updates:
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31 Oct 02 |
Waylander and Máirtín Mac Cormaic in his farewell performance with the band played The Abbeyleix Metal fest on 26 October 2002. More info on the fest at the Metalworks page. |
25 Mar 02 |
Máirtín Mac Cormaic has left Waylander. Read Máirtín's statement. |
22 Mar 02 |
Waylander is featured in the first issue of Ireland's frst Metal magazine - MetalWorks. For info and subscriptions, send email to metalworksmagazine@hotmail.com.
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16 Dec 01 |
Waylander has just announced its new drummer - Nick Shannon. Welcome! |
15 Nov 01 |
Waylander concert announcement - Message from Cíaran: "We've still had no luck finding a drummer. However we're borrowing a drummer to play a show in Belfast on the Winter Solstice, December 21st. It's at the Rosetta with support from Renewal and Loadstone." |
26 Oct 01 |
Added a link to a song sample on the BlackEnd Records' sounds section! |
16 Oct 01 |
Announcing the newest addition to Waylander's line-up: guitarist Owen Boden who also plays with the Irish Death Metal band Hexxed.
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7 Sep 01 |
The band is auditioning drummers and guitar players. 100% commitment is required. Please contact Máirtín (jedifart@ireland.com) or Cíaran (circleofemeraldfire@hotmail.com) to apply/audition or for more details. |
31 Aug 01 |
The release concert will be rescheduled to a date in October.
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30 Aug 01 |
Waylander is planning a mini-tour of Ireland in October or November 2001 along with fellow Irishmen Primordial and Australia's Destroyer666. Cities confirmed so far are Dublin, Belfast and Cork. Other offers are welcome! Dates and details will be posted as soon as confirmed. |
26 Aug 01 |
The release of The Light, the Dark, and the Endless Knot... has been postponed till 22 October 2001. |
25 Aug 01 |
On 22 September 2001 Waylander will celebrate the release of The Light, the Dark, and the Endless Knot... with a concert at Rosetta Bar in Belfast. The supporting bands will be Riffmaster General, Scald and Mael Mordha. |
20 Aug 01 |
Premiered the new Waylander logo - thanks, Máirtín! |
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27 Jul 01 |
Waylander's new album, The Light, the Dark and the Endless Knot... (Blackend Records/PHD), is scheduled for release on 10 September 2001. |
