The difference, by ear
Celtic rock does the same thing without metal's distortion or extremity, and predates it by twenty years.
Celtic rock is sung cleanly where Celtic metal is part sung, part screamed, and a little slower: 100 to 140 bpm against 120 to 170. To hear the difference, play Cruachan next to Horslips. Celtic metal comes from the metal side of the tree and Celtic rock from the rock side, and Celtic rock came first, by 24 years. Ireland appears in the origins of both.
In figures
Celtic metal
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Folk metal › Celtic metal
In short
Irish melodies and traditional instruments over black or heavy metal.
How it sounds
- Tin whistle, bodhrán and fiddle woven into black or heavy metal arrangements.
- Melodies taken from the traditional Irish repertoire, often directly.
- Epic atmosphere with lyrics from Celtic myth and history.
Key acts
- Cruachan
- Primordial
- Waylander
Start here
The pickPrimordial - The Gathering Wilderness. No tin whistle, and the most Celtic of the lot.
Full page →Celtic rock
Where it sits
Rock › Folk rock › Celtic rock
In short
Traditional Irish and Scottish tunes set on drums and electric guitar. The direct ancestor of folk metal.
How it sounds
- Fiddle, tin whistle, uilleann pipes and mandolin alongside electric guitar.
- Jig and reel rhythms adapted to a rock drum kit.
- Traditional melodies used as the main riff rather than as decoration.
Key acts
- Horslips
- Thin Lizzy
- The Pogues
Start here
The pickThin Lizzy - Whiskey in the Jar. A centuries-old ballad played on twin guitars.
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