Treacherous Orchestra - Origins

Treacherous Orchestra are an 11 piece ensemble of musicians, originally brought together at Celtic Connections 2009 before working extensively together in Glasgow. With backgrounds in bands as luminous as Shooglenifty, the Peatbog Fairies and Salsa Celtica, the artists bring a wide range of talents to this all-instrumental project. Origins is their impressive debut album.

The sound is complex, featuring pipes, fiddles, banjo, accordion, bodhran, drums, pipes & whistles and electric guitar. The individual tracks have an appropriately orchestral feel and as such are quite a bit longer than the typical folk song or instrumental, reaching 15 minutes on the excellent Sausages. The tone varies widely, ranging from energetic dance tunes to melodic and gentle instrumentals.

Easter Island and Sea of Clouds are beautiful, dreamy melodic pieces conjuring images both of sun-kissed Pacific shores but also of the Scottish Isles. March of the Troutsmen has a heavy rock sound, with an ominous opening and overtones of Metallica.

Look East is a stark contrast, being an upbeat number, blending fiddles with Jazz sensibilities, resulting in a toe-tapping, irresistible and ever-so-slightly manic dance track. Similarly exciting is Superfly, although in contrast this tune is driven by fast, energetic pipes. The energy builds into a wild, swirling maelstrom of bagpipes.

Origins is something quite special,with a flamboyant and energy-filled, radical orchestral sound.