Gun Ghaol. Photo: Liam Gillespie.
Scottish Gaelic metalcore band Gun Ghaol have teamed up with rapper Limonead for a new single that takes its inspiration from the glory days of early 2000s nu-metal.
The track is called ‘Gabh Ceum Air Ais’ (‘Take A Step Back’), and it brings together the band's metalcore sound with Limonead's Gaelic rap.
And if you're getting early Linkin Park vibes from that description, you're on the right track.
Vocalist Cailean Stone says Linkin Park were the band that first got him into heavy music, and he's been keen to bring that combination of rapping, screaming, DJ scratches and big choruses into Gun Ghaol's sound.
Gun Ghaol are calling the collaboration the first nu-metal song performed in Gaelic.
As Cailean puts it:
“Gaelic nu-metal exists now, and I really hope we keep seeing more Celtic artists pushing boundaries.”
Limonead, whose real name is Sinead Swann, has been making waves of her own. The video for her debut single ‘Nach Buidhe Dhut’ won the FilmG Choice Award earlier this year, and the track even caught the attention of Kneecap's Móglaí Bap.
From TikTok to Belladrum
There's a great story behind Gun Ghaol, too.
What started with Cailean posting a TikTok video of himself screaming in Gaelic has grown into a fully fledged metalcore band.
Their first live show was opening Belladrum Festival's Garden Stage in August 2025, back when they were a four-piece. They've since expanded to five members and have sold out upcoming headline dates in Inverness and Edinburgh.
‘Gabh Ceum Air Ais’ is the second single from their forthcoming album Eadar Bàs is Bruadaran (‘Between Death and Dreams’), due on 12 February 2027.
It's their second album, but their first made as a full band, with Cailean having recorded their 2024 debut Leum himself.
They've also got a Manchester show lined up at Gullivers on 29 January, if you fancy catching them live.
The video for ‘Gabh Ceum Air Ais’ was filmed beneath Glasgow's Kingston Bridge, taking inspiration from the industrial settings of early-2000s nu-metal videos.
For non-Gaelic speakers, here’s a guide to the pronunciations:
Gun Ghaol: “Goon Ghoul”
‘Gabh Ceum Air Ais’: “Gav Came Irash”
Limonead: “Limonade”
Watch the video below and see what you make of Gaelic nu-metal.
Listen to "Gabh Ceum Air Ais" here.