Mega Colossus - Appendix N-Influenced Metal

Plus The Reelin' Rogues and The Craic Show Heavy Medieval Music

I excitedly pre-ordered the upcoming Showdown album from North Carolina-based Mega Colossus. If you’re not familiar with the band, here’s how they describe themselves:

Adventure Metal since 2005. Twin guitar leads like an eagle screeching through space, fantasy inspired lyrics from the dustiest old book collection, and the raw power of metal to make you grin with pleasure as you pour beer on your own head, this is Mega Colossus!

To my ears, they play Iron Maiden-influenced metal with melodic vocals that are reminiscent of Boston or Kansas. From a lyrical perspective, consider that guitarist Bill Fischer cited J.R.R. Tolkien, Douglas Adams, and Frank Herbert as influences in this interview with The Cosmick View.

They prove their Appendix N bonafides throughout their catalog. Some of their previous album titles sound like classic D&D or DCC modules, including “.​.​.​Sepulcher of the Mirror Warlocks” and “.​.​.​Rift of the Pandimensional Under​-​Gods.” But they really hit the Critical Hit Parader sweet spot on their appropriately-named “Swords Against Death.” This song is an ode to Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser with all the character, place, and plot references to the Twain you could ever want. And the song is a rocker that delivers the goods!

You can preview the song “Fortune and Glory” and pre-order the new album from the Mega Colossus Bandcamp page:

Ren Faire Music Inspiration

Speaking of North Carolina, we made a road trip to the Carolina Renaissance Festival this weekend. My favorite part of going to Ren Faires is the music. I especially enjoy the performers who bring some rock attitude to supercharge my immersion. My two favorites who are mainstays of the US Ren Faire circuit are The Reelin’ Rogues and The Craic Show.

The Reelin’ Rogues play high energy Celtic music. Their set lists often consist of Irish pub singalongs and traditional Celtic battle/rebel songs (complete with history lesson introductions). They are engaging entertainers who make an intimate, punk/DIY connection with their audiences. They have a fun live album available on streaming services.

The Reelin’ Rogues

The Craic Show describe their music as “heavy medieval.” Led by Daniel O'Ryan, the band has a great look and intense performance style (with G-rated Gwar-like props). They play both traditional songs and originals with lots of opportunities for audience participation. Daniel can deliver death metal growls, and this weekend the band played snippets of Slayer’s “Raining Blood,” Kiss’s “I Love It Loud,” and Rammstein’s “Du Hast.” They have recorded several albums and just finished recording a new one scheduled to come out in early 2024.

The Craic Show

Seeing these bands fires me up for some fantasy RPG gameplay, and I encourage you to catch either of them if you get a chance. They both play gigs at bars and clubs in addition to their Ren Faire performances.