Wolfstone is a Scottish group that was born in 1989 and its founder is the violinist Duncan Chisholm, who claims that it is a rock band from the Scottish Highlands that uses instruments such as the Irish bagpipe, flute and violin, typical of Celtic music. Likewise, it is a grouping characterized by combining musical sounds of classic rock n ‘ roll with folk themes, traditional of Scotland.
The name “Wolfstone” means “Stone of wolf” and is due to a rock located in the adjacencies of Inverness, place of residence of the majority of the members of the band. Simultaneously, it refers to the Confederation of tribes that inhabited the center of Scotland, known as Picts.
Beginnings of Wolfstone and first albums
Along with Chisholm, Wolfstone was also founded by the Struan Brothers and Stuart Eaglesham. Currently, Duncan and Stuart are the two founding members who continue in the band. With the record company Rowan Records, the group recorded its first two studio albums (Unleashed and the Chase).
For its third album titled Burning Horizons, the members of Wolfstone requested the services of the producer Phil Cunningham who, since then, has collaborated in many of the recordings of the group. Cunningham, a native of Inverness (capital and only city of the unitary Council of Highland, Scotland), became a fundamental part of the group fulfilling a decisive stage in the record history of Wolfstone.
Wolfstone made other record productions, but it was in 1999 with the album titled Seven when they got the recognition of the fans of the traditional music. It is a daring and innovative production, where they included a beautiful and unique piece of piano that Andy simmers dedicated to his father.
The new millennium for Wolfstone
Later, Wolfstone launched his first and only recorded live album, Not enough Shouting, a record production published in Spain that managed to generate in the audience a perception of maturity and solvency of the band.
In 2001 Wolfstone made a super successful tour, the band traveled the peninsula from north to south, participating in the schedules of the Villa (Madrid), Celtic Festival Kingdom of León, Almería, among other locations. The group stood out as one of the main attractions in each of the events they attended, gaining reputation as “the most powerful Celtic rock band in the world.”
Almost an Island (2002), was the first album that launched Wolfstone with his own record label, Once Bitten Records, is a work that mixes own songs and some other version of traditional singles. Until now, the last production of the group is “Terra Firma” (2007), one of the best records of its trajectory judging by the quality of sound and the incredible instrumental duels.
Celtic music is a tradition from the Nordic countries, including Ireland and Scotland, is based on the incorporation of various classical instruments from these regions to new trends. On the other hand, rock is the genre most influenced by this type of instruments and we can see it in several contemporary bands like U2, Korn, the Pogues, OMNIA!, Paddy and the Rats, among others.
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