The lyric visualiser ‘Name Bestowed’ serves as the final single taken from the forthcoming new album of monastic doom instigators Arð. The Northumbrian band’s highly anticipated sophomore full-length Untouched by Fire is chalked up for the release date April 26, 2024.
Check ‘Name Bestowed’ here:
Arð comment: “Musically, the track ‘Name Bestowed’ appears to be composed out of two parts”, mastermind Mark Deeks explains. “The first half showcases the tranquil, acoustic, and haunting aspect of the sound of Arð. This is countered by a huge, epic, soaring end section. The melody of the latter is quite possibly my personal favourite on this album. The historical background for this track refers to the time of Oswald’s exile in Dal Riada. While fighting both in Britain and Irleand for the Irish kingdom on Scotland’s West, the later king earned the warrior name ‘Lamnguin’, which literally means ‘Bright (or White) Arm’ and is translated as ‘Whiteblade’.”
Symbolic background
The translation of ‘white arm’ ties in with the possibly common Celtic god Lug (modern Irish Lugh), whose epithet ‘Lámfada’ (‘long hand’ or ‘long arm’) is thought to possibly refer to his skill with a spear – or as a ruler. The theme of a ruler or deity being marked by a special hand/arm also occurs with the Irish god Nuada or Nuadu (modern spelling Nuadha), who is known through his byname Airgetlám (‘Silver Hand/Arm’). The honourary name ‘Whiteblade’ is therefore indicative of very strong ties of Oswald to Dal Riada and also refers to his outstanding prowess both as a king and warrior.
AA
Arð are of Northumbria. With their eagerly awaited sophomore album Untouched by Fire, the inventors of monastic doom present another stunning milestone on their fast rising trajectory. Both musically and lyrically, mastermind Mark Deeks has climbed to new heights.
Arð continue on their mission to explore the culture, heritage, and identity of the Northern English lands of Northumbria. The debut album Take Up My Bones, followed the legend and century-long wanderings of the relics of Lindisfarne saint, Cuthbert (634–687). The tale narrated on the new full-length shines a light on a very different kind of saint. It revolves around the warrior king Oswald (604–642), who forged Northumbria with fire and sword by uniting the kingdoms of Bernicia and Deira. With powerful allies of the Irish kingdom of Dal Riada on the west coast of Scotland, excellent diplomatic skill and the martial prowess of a warrior who had fought battles both in Ireland and Scotland, where his bravery supposedly gained him the honorary name ‘Whiteblade’, Oswald was widely regarded as the most powerful Anglo-Saxon king by his contemporaries. It was most likely he, who ended the British Celtic kingdoms in the North and expanded Germanic rule in all directions. On Untouched by Fire, Arð trace Oswald’s rise to power from his exile as a youth in Dal Riada due to a family feud, via his victorious battles to conquer the lands that his father had claimed until his founding of Northumbria.
Aural Aggravation 