Eluveitie The Arcane Dominion
by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer
Riding a surge of interest in all things folk metal, and fresh from the North American leg of the Pagan Fest II tour, Swiss band Eluveitie is back with their fourth full-length studio album Evocation I – The Arcane Dominion. Eluveitie was one of the rising stars of the whole folk metal scene, and their 2008 album Slania was a breakthrough album. Naturally, expectations were high for the band’s follow-up. Instead of delivering Slania 2.0, Eluveitie decided to serve up an almost acoustic, pure folk concept album sung entirely in Helvetic Gaulish. They certainly challenged the still-developing folk metal status quo with this one!
Unfortunately that risk doesn’t appear to have paid off. For all of Evocation I’s authenticity as a folk album, it offers very little to “excite the base” – those metal fans who are Eluveitie’s core audience. The album is split between instrumental songs, mood-setting barely musical interludes, and songs where Anna Murphy takes center stage as vocalist. It’s the instrumental songs, where the folk melodies and unique instrumentation are the focus, that really make you wish they had “plugged in” for this one.
With a bit more muscle, this would have been a powerful folk metal album. Instead it’s a too-tranquil folk music album. To be sure, Evocation I is well-executed folk music, but it’s, well…a bit boring, really. Aside from “Brictom”, “The Arcane Dominion” and “Memento”, which feel like fully realized, somewhat powerful metal songs, the rest of the album kind of fades into the background. Even guest appearances by Oliver Tyr (Faun) and Alan Nemtheanga (Moonsorrow) fail to generate much energy.
This may be one of those albums that takes several spins (or the precise combination of chemical substances) to truly appreciate. Perhaps this is an album that will only please pure folk music fans. For those of us looking for more of what we heard on Slania, namely innovative and memorable folk-based heavy metal, Evocation I can’t help but disappoint.
Label: Nuclear Blast
Lineup:
Meri Tadic – Fiddle
Anna Murphy – Hurdy Gurdy, Vocals
Simeon Koch – Lead Vocals, Guitar
Rafi Kirder – Bass
Merlin Sutter – Drums
Ivo Henzi – Guitar
Chrigel Glanzmann – Bodhrain, Guitar, Tin Whistle, Vocals
Sevan Kirder – Flute, Tin Whistle
Track Listing:
1. Sacrapos – At First Glance
2. Brictom
3. A Girl’s Oath
4. The Arcane Dominion
5. Within the Grove
6. Nata
7. Omnos
8. Carnutian Forest
9. The Cauldron of Renascence
10. Dessumiss Luge
11. Gobanno
12. Voveso In Mori
13. Memento
14. Ne Regv Na
15. Sacrapos – The Disparaging Last Gaze
Online: www.eluveitie.ch/
HRH Rating: 6/10