“Enter the Dragon.” “Enter Sandman.” “Enter the Matrix.”

Enter the Haggis?

An appropriate enough name for a band that plays upbeat, high-energy Celtic rock with a dash of bluegrass. Haggis is just as hardcore as kung fu, or Metallica, or a video game based on a bad movie. Haggis is so tough I am actually rather terrified to try it. A sheep’s stomach, stuffed full of liver, suet and oatmeal and then boiled. That’s pretty rugged.

The Canadian five-piece Enter the Haggis will make a stop in Maine tonight at the Unity Centre for the Performing Arts, so those in attendance will get a chance to sample the fury of the haggis. Guitarist and vocalist Trevor Lewington said the band’s sound has evolved from an initial traditional Celtic sound to the harder, rock-influenced style the band currently plays.

“Enter the Haggis has been around since 1995, with the current lineup in place for about five years,” said Lewington. “But the sound of band has changed dramatically, as various members have come and gone. We’re always trying to fuse together sounds that aren’t typically together.”

Lewington said most of the band members grew up playing Celtic music, with bagpiper Craig Downie originally hailing from Glasgow, Scotland, and bassist Mark Abraham growing up in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, immersed in the long-standing Acadian music tradition. Fiddler Brian Buchanan spent time on the Canadian old-time fiddling circuit before joining the band.

“We all grew up playing in rock bands, though,” said Lewington. “Craig started the band and was playing Celtic music, and from that base we expanded on it.”

The band’s latest album, “Casualties of Retail,” features some amped-up takes on classic Celtic reels and jigs, such as “Music Box” and “She Moved Through the Fair,” and some slightly more bluegrass-influenced originals, like “Twirling Towards Freedom.”

Each band member has his own personalized tartan, though drummer James Campbell prefers to wear shorts while playing (gee, I wonder why). Fiddler Buchanan’s kilt is bright orange, with lion rampants. He also has spiky, neon red hair. Traditional, it’s not. Fun and exciting, yes.

Lewington said Enter the Haggis has spent the better part of most years touring, with stops in Europe and Japan as well as North America, and that U.S. audiences in particular have been very welcoming.

“As soon as we started playing American festivals and shows we saw that the response was so different,” he said. “Americans are very enthusiastic, and we’re able to play a lot of different venues, from performing arts centers to pubs.”

Last year the band did something rather unusual for touring musicians – they took 50 of their most devoted fans, rented two tour buses and traveled around Ireland for a week.

“We went to a bunch of towns and cities and played a bunch of shows,” said Lewington. “We brought out all these people and just traveled around. We’re taking another trip in March, this time to Scotland.” Information on the upcoming trip can be found at the band’s Web site, www.enterthehaggis.com.

This is the second time in Maine for Enter the Haggis; they played in Unity about a year ago. They may be around more frequently now, though, since bassist Mark Abraham recently settled down in Freeport with his new wife, who is from Maine.

Who knows; maybe they’ll start serving haggis round these parts. I may have to suck it up and try it someday.

Enter the Haggis will play at 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4, at the Unity Centre for the Performing Arts on 42 Depot St. in Unity. Tickets are $15, and can be purchased at the door or at Mr. Paperback in Belfast, Crosstrax Restaurant in Unity and Waldo County Oil in Troy. For information, visit www.unitymaine.org/theater. Emily Burnham can be reached at eburnham@bangordailynews.net.