Eluveitie
Vên

THE REVIEW

Another folk metal EP with Celtic overtones? No, absolutely not, there's much more here. They come from Switzerland, fresh with a contract with Nuclear Blast, and their name is Eluveitie, a band composed of no less than 11 members all playing a variety of instruments, from the classic metal ones (guitar, bass, and drums) to those typical of the Celtic tradition, such as the Uilleann (a sort of bagpipe powered by a "flute"), the Bodhrán (a sort of tambourine also typical of the Irish tradition), and also Irish flute and more classical instruments like violins and violas.

Musically "Vên", this is the title of the EP, presents itself as a mix of folk metal where bursts of black metal with continuous hints of death appear (stronger in the subsequent album "Spirit"), all seasoned with a continuous melodic search that makes the music proposed by these eleven rascals even more enjoyable. Vocally, we are faced with an album that offers an alternation between semi-clean parts, where Chrigel Glanzmann delivers an interpretation that leans towards areas typical of thrash metal, and others closer to the death tradition, with angry growls of great effect.

Starting with "D´Vêritû Agâge D´Bitu", Eluveitie proves capable of crafting melodies balanced between the dreamy and the calm and the typical violence of these folk formations, but it is by continuing that we find the best tracks, which go by the names "Uis Elveti", a piece particularly sunlit melodically, with flutes as the true protagonists of the track that, along with bagpipes, tear through the mostly metal base, supporting Chrigel, who delivers a good performance, although due to a less than perfect recording, the low volume of the voice loses some points in an otherwise good song. Beautiful " Orò", an instrumental with horn and bagpipe, that brings the mind to the great green expanses of Ireland. The "solo" of the bagpipe is moving, extremely touching thanks to its decidedly sad hints. The ending changes tones, eventually leading to the best composition of the entire work, "Lament", a particularly measured piece where all the musical influences characterizing the band merge perfectly: black outbursts alternate with parts closer to death, all surrounded by Celtic atmospheres in perfect harmony.

The six minutes of "Druid" are superfluous, a rather chaotic piece, lacking musical solidity and thus often leading to chaos, proving that there's still a way to go to achieve complete musical maturity. The album closes with the instrumental ballad "Jêzaïg", also possessing a particularly sad mood.

In general, the product is truly of good quality, albeit with some slight style lapses mainly due to a lack of experience. Highly recommended listening to anyone wishing to rediscover the traditions of north-central Europe.