METALKELT: Fusing Tradition

MetalKelt

Fusing Tradition

© 2006 MetalKelt Music

CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.

SPECIAL: 30% discount if you buy more than one copy of it today!

Tradition Irish and Celtic music combined with metal influences

notes

"If Bob Dylan fronted Van Halen, the Cheiftains, and Enya. Some arrangements are even reminiscient of Frank Zappa's heavier material" - Edward Burke (WWPV 88.7-FM "The Mike")

Fusing Tradition is MetalKelt's debut album. The arrangements are all influenced by a variety of musicians we love and cover a variety of styles, from the haunting melody of Spancil Hill to the power of The Foggy Dew. If you love Irish/Celtic music, then there is something for you on Fusing Tradition. Please give some of the track previews a listen, I'm sure you can find something you'll enjoy.

MetalKelt came about in the summer of 2005 when Paul Giampaolo and Matt Hughes started talking about playing some music together and playing Irish music. Paul (Keyboards, Backing Vocals and Drums) was learning a few songs and they got together once or twice that summer and fooled around with the music. Come October and Matt's reawakened passion for music, they began getting together again, and and with November came the idea of putting a CD together and performing live with a band. The project from the beginning would be Celtic Fusion (thus the title of their forthcoming debut CD.) They could not settle on a name until inspiration came from an unexpected source. Mike Murphy of the Shannon River Band said, "Hey just call it MetalCelt." The name stuck in Matt's head. He also knew that he didn't want it mispronounced and changed the spelling to MetalKelt. "Calling the CD Fusing Tradition came to me one night," Matt recalls, "I thought it was a perfect name, being descriptive of what we do." Combining Matt's metal roots and Paul's skills on arranging and performing songs on keyboards, the band continues down their unique path and leaving an indelible mark on Irish music. "The rebel songs lend themselves to being played aggressively," says Matt. Paul plays several ballads on the keyboard including Loch Lomond and Patriot Game. "I had a lot of fun arranging the songs," says Paul "Patriot Game is one of my favorites." Paul also is handling producing and mixing duties to go with his musical talents in the band.

Matt Hughes (Guitar, Vocals, Bass and Drums on Fusing Tradition) Began playing guitar at 15. He spent several years learning his craft and started a high school band with friends called Scavenger. The band changed its name to Majesty and began practicing and learning songs. Also during this period Matt also switched to bass in the band to give the band a bass player. Matt wrote some original material that never saw the light of day and the band split in the mid 90's with never having played a show nor recorded any material. After the breakup of the band he was left with a drum kit and started learning how to keep time on his own. Matt then tried starting a band in college and that met with no success. Music then became a pastime for him and he stopped playing for a period of time. In 2001 Matt was turned on to a local Irish band and he became fascinated with Irish music. Still at the time not being interested in playing he followed the band for 5 years until the bands untimely departure from the scene in 2005. At an Irish Wake for the band the last fiddle player of The Wild Geese Band was playing some Irish tunes with a young woman at the gathering. When they took a break for a few minutes Matt asked to play the guitar the young lady had brought. He told Luci Lynn (fiddle) that he knew one Irish song from watching The Wild Geese and that was Back Home in Derry. She asked that he play the song with her. They played and they got a positive response. Somehow over the course of the evening he ended up singing a couple more songs a Capella and the fire was relit. He had gotten together with Paul once or twice over the summer of 2005 and sang a few songs while Paul played keys on Star of the County Down and The Moonshiner. They started talking about doing an Irish music project together and MetalKelt was born. Now 6 months later The CD is almost complete and the fire is stoked and burning in Matt's heart again. Handling Guitar, Bass, and Drums along with Vocal duties he has arranged the metal songs on the CD (The Foggy Dew, God Save Ireland and Tell Me Ma among others) and is pouring his creativity into the band. "I never thought this was going to happen," he says of the band and his performance of Irish music, "I am finally chasing my dreams."

Paul Giampaolo (Keyboards, Backing Vocals, and Drums) began playing the piano at age 8. He played virtually everyday for eight years. At that point in his life the real world began to intrude and his passion for playing music was put to the side. After becoming a fan of the Wild Geese Band, he began playing again. At this point he also began to envision playing in a band himself. "At that point I decided music should reclaim a more prominent role in my life," said Paul. After much talk of such ambition, he and Matt Hughes began to get together and play. Finally, this evolved into an actual decision to start what would become MetalKelt. "MetalKelt is the perfect outlet as it combines both traditional Irish music and metal, two of my favorite genres," says Paul. Paul's musical background and influences are seen in several of the songs he has arranged (including Loch Lomond, Star of the County Down, and Patriot Game). "The most enjoyable thing about arranging these pieces is taking something which is very traditional, doing something non-traditional with it, and seeing what comes out," explains Paul, "When you arrange a piece you are never entirely certain exactly how it will work out. You encounter many surprises doing this and these discoveries are always exciting."

reviews

Please log in to review this album.

  • MetalKelt review.
    author: Lee

    A friend recommended this band to me,I bought it and listened to it. The good part is they're a very unique sound, I like it alot. I just wish the lead singer would be more in tune, and not try to rush the lyrics.

  • author: John Grochalski

    an interesting blend of two genres of music. Matt Hughes and Paul Giampaolo take the traditional and make it not so. A certain and worthy disc for anyone interested in Metal looking for a new take. Here's hoping they do it again.

  • Debut CD is just the beginning
    author: Ken

    Many traditional Irish songs with a different taste. The music arrangements are awesome. Treat yourself to something different that'll keep you listening again and again.

email

Please log in to email this artist.