Eluveitie – Slania

I can’t think of any other style of music that has more sub-genres than metal. Seriously, think about it. Grind, thrash, gore, power, glam, black, doom, progressive, and even something I read another critic call “Hollywood metal.” It seems like every year introduces us to a new division of this music we love so dearly. So when Nuclear Blast sent me the new album from Eluveitie I wasn’t surprised to see them described as “Pagan metal” in the accompanying bio. Apparently, Finntroll, Ensiferum and Tyr are also part of this movement but I wasn’t aware it had a name. Eluveitie hail from Switzerland and incorporate ancient themes and atypical instrumentation into their more modern take on Scandinavian-styled metal. Fiddles, Uilleann pipes and Irish flutes are just a few of the non-traditional instruments the 8 piece (!) band uses to construct their inventive sound.

Where some of the other bands that work in these folk tendencies into their style often come off clumsy at times, Eluveitie do an impressive job of bringing the two worlds together. Even amidst the accelerated, death metal sections, the Celtic flavored parts thread into the arrangements effortlessly. Majestic folk melodies clash with death growls and stabbing riffs on songs like “Calling the Rain” and “Inis Mona,” but they never seem out of step with each other. They even throw in instrumental pieces like “Anagantios” to fully showcase their respect and admiration for their Celtic influences. But make no mistake; Ivo Henzi and Simeon Koch are in full-command of their Gothenburg-like guitar assault. Just check “Primordial Breath” for proof of their keen sense of tunefulness and savagery in the riff department. Whether I become a close follower of the Pagan metal scene remains to be seen but Slania is any indication, I look forward to seeing what it might offer us.

Rating: 7/10
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Website: www.eluveitie.ch

by Carlos Ramirez 

(+53 rating, 12 votes)

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