Eluveitie

What happens when you put take classic Celtic folk and rev it up with melodeath metal?

ELUVEITIE. One of the most amazing folk/melodic death metal bands I have EVER heard. Their music is the epitome of class, melody, and sheer musical brilliance. They take the genre of folk metal to a whole new level and are honestly one of the bands that got me heavily into folk music and the like. Hailing from Winterthur, Zurich in Switzerland, Eluveitie are one of the most popular bands in the genre. They're music has evolved over the years, but the charm of their melodic music has been consistent. Unique to this band is how beautifully they incorporate the sounds of traditional instruments such as the flute, bagpipes, hurdy gurdies,tin whistles and fiddles into their tracks amidst the dynamic guitars, madass drum rolls and harsh vocals. It's the perfect balance of soft tunes and brutal elements of heavy metal. My bias for this band is also because of their use of the Gaulish(also called Gaelic) language which is an ancient tongue of the Celts. I have an unhealthy obsession for anything Celtic, mostly the accents. I'm sure I've mentioned that at some point before. But Celtic music. Is a whole other world in itself. Their latest album Helvetios, has an underlying concept that focuses on the Gallic wars. And to think that I was actually done with history. The whole Celtic culture is beyond fascinating and Eluveitie's music has the capacity to actually make those scenes come alive.
But if I had to pick, my favourite album would definitely be Evocation I: The Arcane Dominion. It takes you into the depths of the Celtic world and culture, with the rather incomprehensible Gaulish lyrics and the stunning array of instrumentation that they manage to inculcate into every track without making it sound like a riot.

Evocation I has a limited metal element to it, focusing on a proper acoustic folk sound which is quite a breath of fresh air as compared to their other albums. Anna Murphy, the hurdy gurdy player, features more prominently on this album as a vocalist. and I LOVE HER. She can reach a range of unimaginable pitches and her voice is so amazingly soothing yet powerful. A Rose For Epona is my absolute favourite track where here voice modulation is friggin brilliant. The Bagpipes are yet another instrument I'm very keen on learning. (Also, Patrick Kistler is *fans self* a true Celtic stud. I want hair like him!) It gives such a happy, upbeat feel to the music and makes you want to start river dancing all over the place. The album features many guest musicians which is an added bonus.

Another thing I love about Eluveitie is their cover art. "A picture speaks a thousand words" is such an apt phrase to use here. Evocation I has the majestic looking Celtic Cernunnos, said to be the god of nature with a Gold torc in one hand and an ember in his left. It's a very peaceful image considering the history and rather brutal nature of the Celts who were constantly at battle with neighbouring communities.

Evocation I: The Arcane Dominion

Slania is the first album I heard by Eluveitie and is without a doubt one of their stronger releases and is a gorgeous blend of Scandinavian melodeath and of course, Celtic folk sounds, the beauty of it all being even heavier tracks placing emphasis on the 'folk' rather than on the 'metal' element. "Inis Mona" is definitely my pick from this album with a breath taking flute solo that beats the norms of the typical melodic death metal genre.

Helvetios is also a very well done album, with some very catchy tracks and the signature collaboration of folk metal elements with some gruff vocals in the backdrop by Chrigel Glanzzman. That man is the personification of multi-talented. To be honest, this one didn't strike me as much as the other Eluveitie albums. It's got the perfect balance of folk melodies and metallic vocals, guitar and drumming. From the point of view of Eluveitie music, it doesn't feature anything insanely new or unique but is more of a continuation of Everything Remains (As It Never Was). There is a beautiful background story that the album is based on though which like I said, gets you further interested in the history of the Celts and their culture. It's based on the Gaulish tribe Helvetios and progressively describes very effectively I might add, their constant battles and wars with the Romans. The makers of Spartacus should have used Eluveitie's music in the backdrop, that'd make the show just so much more authentic and kickass. But what really gets me throughout this album is Chrigel's mad strong vocals which remind you of Mikael Stanne's blood-curdling death growls supported by the clean singing of Meri Tadic and Anna Murphy(hearts). Again, Anna's voice throughout the album is something that keeps the pace of the songs going and keeps you wanting more. The Prologue gives a brilliant start to the album with My favourite tracks on this album are Helvetios, A Rose For Epona, Scorched Earth, Uxellodunon, Alesia and The Seige.

As with all things, the main criticism circling the music of Eluveitie is that it is limited and lacking in originality. But I don't agree with that a whole lot. They've made a huge impact in the world of folk and melodeath metal and even though there may not be major or significant differences between their albums, their musicical style certainly stands out especially among fellow folk metallers. What's even more special is that every single one of this brilliant octet play a major part in the music formed as a result of the crazy vareity of instruments against a basic drums, guitar and vocal set up. And like I said, unlike some bands where so much incorporated into one album can actually turn out to be chaotic, Eluveitie carry this out elegantly carving a niche for themselves in the world of melodic death metal. Yes they could experiment a little more with their music but then I feel they'd lose their charm if they add in more than what already makes up a brilliant and unique sound as well as reputation they've built up for themselves.

They're also said to be one of the best live metal acts so I hope I get to watch them someday ^_^