Eluveitie – Origins

Releasedate: 2014; Label: Nuclear Blast Records
By: Basak Günel

Eluveitie is a folk metal band from Switzerland. Founded by Chrigel Glanzmann in 2002, the genre of the band can be described as the “new wave of folk metal” since the band’s music is a perfect mixture of celtic melodies and melodic death metal. Since the band’s music deals with the Celtic themes, the lyrics of some of their songs are mostly in the ancient Gaulish language.

After the successful concept album “Helvetios” (2012), the band is back with the latest album “Origins”. Unlike “Helvetios”, “Origins” is not a concept album but it deals deeply with the Celtic mythology and the “aetological tales from Gaul” so in this sense, it is a mythological and a spiritual record. On the other hand, “Origins” symbolizes the origin of the band’s roots and the music they make. I remember the trailer for this album and the message there was “I know who I am. I know where I come from.” In that sense, “Origins” shows how Eluveitie’s music has evolved throughout the years. In this record, the listener will see that the band has progressed and evolved but did not forget their roots. A perfect example of this is the song “Vianna”; the melody in the beginning is clearly a tribute to their classic song “Omnos” from the album “Evocation I – The Arcane Dominion” (2009).

Musically, “Origins” is a typical Eluveitie album. The folk instruments are blended quite well with that fierce e-guitars and of course the harsh vocals sung by Chrigel Glanzmann. “Origins” also consists of some of the heaviest Eluveitie tracks such as “Inception” or “The Silver Sister”. On the other hand, for the lovers of that typical folk sound, songs like “King” or “The Call of the Mountains” will satisfy the listeners. By the way, I particularly like “The Call of the Mountains” because of Anna Murphy; it’s always great to hear her contribution in Eluveitie; she’s not just the hurdy gurdy player but her talent can also be seen in her vocals. Furthermore, it would be unfair to skip the new fiddle player Nicole Ansperger’s talent; just listen to “King” and get crazy in that fiddle solo!

“Origins” might be a folk metal album full with joyful Celtic melodies and the educating stories but there is nothing new when it comes to Eluveitie’s sound. I have to say I had high expectations for this album but in spite of the album’s concept and the typical folk-ish sounds, it wasn’t a huge excitement musically. I also think that the mixing/production could have been a bit better. If you are a new Eluveitie fan, you will definitely enjoy this record but if you expect something new and different/experimental from the band, then “Origins” might disappoint you.

Line-up :
Chrigel Glanzmann – vocals, mandola & mandolin, tin & low whistles, bagpipes, gaita, acoustic guitar, bodhran, harp
Merlin Sutter – drums
Ivo Henzi – rhythm guitar
Anna Murphy – hurdy gurdy, vocals, flute
Kay Brem – bass guitar
Patrick “Päde” Kistler – bagpipes, tin & low whistles
Rafael Salzmann – lead guitar
Nicole Ansperger – fiddle

Tracklist: 01. Origins 02. The Nameless 03. From Darkness 04. Celtos 05. Virunus 06. Nothing 07. The Call Of The Mountains 08. Sucellos 09. Inception 10. Vianna 11. The Silver Sister 12. King 13. The Day Of Strife 14. Ogmios 15. Carry The Torch (Intermezzo) 16. Eternity (Outro)

Links:
Eluveitie Official