Mael Mórdha

Woad warriors: Hang onto your firkins - Dublin is about to be invaded by a marauding tribe of bloodthirsty warlords, covered in daub and ready to rock your wattle. You think Braveheart is violent - wait until you meet this lot, hopefully not on a battlefield. Mael Mórdha are not a céilí band, nor do they do ballads - this Irish four-piece specialise in a little-known and seldom-practised branch of rock - Gaelic Doom Metal or Ceol Breatha Gaelach. Indeed, they claim to be the only Gaelic Doom Metal band around, and we're not gonna argue with them - not if we value our scalps. The band dress in full ninth-century war costume, which, judging from the photos on their website, is similar to the standard hair metal uniform of the 1980s, ie, long, flowing hair, tight trousers and bare-chested swagger. They do add an authentic touch - livid blue warpaint on their faces. But while the band look scary, their music is even scarier, a morose, rather despondent Celtic cousin of Norwegian black metal. While most black metalheads revel in gore and satanic imagery, Mael Mórdha's lyrical concerns are the epic sadness permeating the myths and legends of Ireland.

Abba cadabra: Mael Mórdha have been together in one form or another for about 10 years, but came to the Irish public's attention recently when they performed on You're A Star. Sadly, the programme makers didn't feel that Eurovision was ready for such songs as Caoineadh Na nGael, Realms of Insanity and I Am The Wench's Bane. The band even tried to tone it down a bit, doing a cover of ABBA's Dancing Queen - or, more accurately, dismembering it. They may not have made it through on You're A Star, but in the tight-knit metal community, Mael Mórdha are already legends. They've built up a following all over Europe, playing at period settings, traditional festivals and bike rallies.

Gael gory: Mael Mórdha are proud of their Gaelic heritage; they may be noisy, but at least they're promoting the Irish language through their earsplitting sounds. "Tá Mael Mórdha ag teacht!" warns their press release. They used to be called Uaigneas, which is Gaelic for sadness; Mael means slave, or bald, or naked, while Mórdha means proud, noble or exalted. So, loosely translated, the band's name could mean Great Big Baldy Fella. Mael Mórdha was also the name of Brian Boru's brother-in-law, who was King of Leinster at the time of the Battle of Clontarf.

Back in black: Mael Mórdha have been fairly quiet recently, but now they're ready to do battle again with a new album, Cluain Tarbh, in early April. To whet our appetites for it, the band play a gig in Dublin's Voodoo Lounge tomorrow night (Saturday 5th). No truth in the rumour that a miniature Newgrange will be lowered onto the stage a là Spinal Tap. But, you never know, they may do Dancing Queen.

Kevin Courtney