Album Review: Eluveitie - "Slania"

Artist: Eluveitie (Switzerland)
Album Title: Slania
Label: Nuclear Blast (Germany, USA)
Released: 2008

Though it seems unlikely that melodic death metal and traditional Celtic music can mix into something listenable, Eluveitie has been doing precisely that since their 2003 debut EP, Vên, arrived on the folk metal scene. Vên was received well enough that this former studio project became a full-fledged band, releasing their first album, Spirit, in 2006. Due to their accessible and enjoyable sound, they've gained a strong and loyal fanbase over the last few years. With their signing late last year to the large metal label Nuclear Blast, Eluveitie was given an opportunity to expose a much wider audience to their unique brand of folk metal. Fortunately, they did not squander that opportunity, as their second album, Slania, is an amazing piece of work, in many ways a refinement of the elements that made Spirit such a popular album in the scene.

Eluveitie's sound is an intriguing blend of Gothenburg-style death metal (think In Flames or Dark Tranquillity) and Celtic music. The eight-piece band (formerly they had as many as ten members) not only features two guitarists, a bassist, and a drummer, but four members who play traditional instruments. The vocalist, Chrigel Glanzmann, also plays flute, bagpipes, mandola, bodhrán, and acoustic guitar. One member plays bagpipes and various flutes, another plays violin, and yet another plays the hurdy gurdy. Unlike many folk metal bands who only have occasional folk elements, for Eluveitie it is an integral part of their sound and not simply a gimmick or "tacked-on" element.

Thematically, Eluveitie deals primarily with Celtic (Gaulish, to be specific) history. Oppression and conquest by the Roman Empire is a frequent lyrical theme, which means that many of Eluveitie's songs seem angry, a feeling that is enhanced by the nature of the melodic death metal that makes up the base of their sound. This isn't light-hearted, Korpiklaani-style folk metal, though you may at times find yourself torn between the desire to bang your head and the desire to get up and dance a jig. Part of the album's theme, the idea of the Great Wheel, the seasonal cycle, is represented by periodic instrumental folk pieces, including the beautiful "Anagantios," and the songs that begin and end the album ("Samon" and "Elembivos," respectively). As a bonus, a short but sweet acoustic version of "Samon" appears at the end of the CD.

As with any follow-up, Slania will be frequently compared to its predecessor, Spirit. The fact that there has been so much debate over which CD is superior is an indication to me that there is no clear consensus among Eluveitie fans. Spirit has some really stunning moments, and is overall a very strong album, but it also has a few tracks that I don't enjoy very much. Slania, on the other hand, is consistently great all the way through. Perhaps it doesn't ever reach such highs as the last few minutes of "Tegernakô" from Spirit, but, when listening through the entire album, I enjoy it more overall than I do Spirit. The albums are quite similar, though, both featuring great production, songwriting, and performances. Both use melodies drawn from Celtic traditional songs (a fact that has annoyed some fans, which makes me snicker a little... apparently these people want "folk metal" but are offended if you actually use traditional folk tunes instead of simply making up tunes that sound like traditional tunes) and contain a somewhat equal ratio of metal to folk. With Slania, it appears to me that the folk elements are better blended with the metal elements, so much so that it may appear upon first listen that Eluveitie has diminished the folk on this album. They haven't, though. It's there. It's just integrated more with the metal elements.

This is a metal album that should not be overlooked this year. Those who would be tempted to avoid the album due to the term "melodic death metal" or even "Celtic music" should at least listen to some samples online. I am not much of a fan of any sort of death metal, melodic or otherwise, but yet I have been a big fan of Eluveitie since shortly after Spirit's release in 2006. Slania proves that the band has staying power, and I am looking forward to seeing what great works they will deliver in the future.