Riastrad
| “ | The first warp-spasm seized Cúchulainn, and made him into a monstrous thing, hideous and shapeless, unheard of. His shanks and his joints, every knuckle and angle and organ from head to foot, shook like a tree in the flood or a reed in the stream. His body made a furious twist inside his skin, so that his feet and shins switched to the rear and his heels and calves switched to the front... On his head the temple-sinews stretched to the nape of his neck, each mighty, immense, measureless knob as big as the head of a month-old child... he sucked one eye so deep into his head that a wild crane couldn't probe it onto his cheek out of the depths of his skull; the other eye fell out along his cheek. His mouth weirdly distorted: his cheek peeled back from his jaws until the gullet appeared, his lungs and his liver flapped in his mouth and throat, his lower jaw struck the upper a lion-killing blow, and fiery flakes large as a ram's fleece reached his mouth from his throat... The hair of his head twisted like the tange of a red thornbush stuck in a gap; if a royal apple tree with all its kingly fruit were shaken above him, scarce an apple would reach the ground but each would be spiked on a bristle of his hair as it stood up on his scalp with rage. | ” |
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—Thomas Kinsella (translator), The Táin, Oxford University Press, 1969, pp. 150-153
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This is the Ríastrad-- battle fury of the ancient Celtic warriors like the legendary Cúchulainn mentioned above. Irrepressible in their fury, monstrous in their aspect.
Damion Lazzara began putting together Ríastrad in the early part of 2011. After months of playing with various people, he met drummer Peter Bordokoff. Peter was unable to commit, as he was due to move from Portland in the near future, so Damion collaborated with Peter to record the music for the three tracks that would comprise the “Driving Into The Sun” E.P.
It was soon after playing these tracks for friends that one of them would introduce Damion to drummer Lance Paden. It was Lance who then brought in bassist/vocalist Ryan Thomas, and a few weeks later, guitarist Justin Romito. The band was then able to put Ryan’s vocals on the E.P., and began collaborating on writing new material together.
They played their first show on March 1st., 2012 with many more to follow, bringing the Rock like a crazed barbaric horde...of four guys.
