Search - Dagda :: Hibernia: The Story of Ireland

Standout Effort--Gotta tell you

T. Frantz | Grapevine, TX United States | 02/22/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Like most people, I really only am stimulated to review the music I find most enjoyable.



I recently bought this Dagda album, on a hunch from the product description. I would consider it one of my favorite "celtic electronica" CDs. Very inspired song-writing, and great instrumentation. It has a cinematic feel, which I am sure was quite intentional. There are sound effects as a backdrop to the music, and certainly a story line. But its the melodic lines that interest me....I like composers who can find a good melodic line and play it off an interesting chord structure. The 9th Wave, for example has a killer hornpipe-inspired line that begins about 2:30 into the song that is outstanding.



Although celtic music has a defined playspace, Dagda has created some really great, original tracks within that space.



I have some other pretty good stuff, but this is one I have to tell you about!"

Entrancing and Magical conclusion to the Dagda legacy!

Distant Voyageur | Io | 07/01/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As of this writing, "Hibernia: The Story of Ireland" is the final album that Celtic/New Age group Dagda has released which is unfortunate since I LOVED their albums and was excited every time a new album was due to come out. However, though it is their final (hope not) album, "Hibernia" is arguably among the best swan song albums I've heard from any group as of this writing. All of the best elements of their previous three albums come together on here to create an audio painting of cloudsy evening skies, colorful lights, streaks of sun breaking through, biking or driving along the highway watching the skies, and beautiful, haunting vocals throughout. I've heard and sense a glimpse of paradise when I first listened to this album.



The pulsating geologic heartbeat of the opening track "The 9th Wave" instantly had me hooked on the album from start to finish. The song eventually builds into a whispering voice of goddesses, echoing voices, and evening bliss on the Green Hills of Wisconsin, the hilly roads of Upstate New York, or the green landscapeso Ireland. Take you pick. The song plateaus back down into it's intro beat but the sound of crashing waves instantly transitions us into the second track "Mise Liom Fein". The song has a faint ambient sound which instantly blasts in with a haunting, cloudy evening sound with beautiful Celtic flutes, Ulliaen Pipes, and a slow tempo rhythm. The song even features walkie-talkie voice effects like a helicopter voice recording but also beautiful "Ibe!Ibe!Ibe!Ibeibe!" voice effects which are wonderful to listen to. The song instantly ends with the intro ambient suddenly changing melody with the third track "Home Again in Eireann" which is arguably the happiest and most optimistic tracks on this album. The song features a beautiful female vocals before erupting into a joyous and powerful track with a soaring male singing voice and thundering beats. The song instnatl concludes with a strange echo and a distant crying echo instnatly transporting us into arguably my favorite track on this album entitled "Tuath De Danaan". The song starts with a haunting ambience and pulsating beats before morphing into a somewhat semi-somber ambience before building into a very adventurous song with a pulsating semi-technoish beat, driving rhythm, and operatic vocals. A pause occurs before the song returns to it's major-note atmosphere before the beat suddenly stops and the song comes to a peaceful end. "Tuath De Danaan" is arguably my favorite song on this album. The sound of birds chirping and a distant church bell transitions us into the ultrablissful heavens of the fifth track "Criost Liom" which features a semi-Opera like vocal and an eerie major-note melody with a chorus of male and female choruses. The eerieness of "Criost Liom" fades away into the paradise of "Tir Na Nog" which is a beautiful instrumental song that has beautiful melody, Celtic flutes, and a cloudy evening atmosphere. The conclusion of the track merges into the slightly more turbulence of "Winds of Change" which is slightly faster track. The track has a haunting pause which features some strange voice whispering "Ahh....Surshum..." repeatedly before the track resuming. The ending of the track takes us into the radiance of "Lake Derravaragh" which to me, combines the production style of their 2000 "Underworld" album but combines the colorful beauty of the following years "Sleeping with the Gods of Love" album. I also think the song borrows some elements of "Escape into My Darkness" from "Underworld" as the ambient melody is very much like it but without the pizzacato strings. The song transitions into the playfulness of "For You" which is arguably the most accessable track with very cute vocals and a very innocent atmosphere. The joyous nature of that track is instantly replaced by a stormier, much more melancholy track entitled "Genesis Hibernia" which is ironically based off "Lords of the Underworld" from their 2000 Underworld album just slightly retooled and much shorter. Still a great song. The album concludes with "Asbhaile(Home)" which brings the Dagda saga to a glorious conclusion.



"Hibernia: The Story of Ireland" is a magnificent album with lots of magic, and soul throughout. It can be uplifting, it can be theraputic, it can be calm, but whatever you may call it, there's no doubt that it is a powerful and spectacular album that is worth the money. I have all of Dagda's albums and love all of them but "Hibernia" is their masterpiece in my opinion and if Dagda truly broke up after it came out, then they timed it just right and went out on top. :)"