ELUVEITIE
The Swiss metallers Eluveitie don’t need any sort of introduction. Since 2002, with their folk characteristic sound, they have been giving the world a different combination of sounds. Originality is one thing no one can’t take from them and, with ‘Origins’, they prove this once more. With ‘Helvetios’, the band proved they were here to stay, with their well-oiled formula of complex but not overwhelming mix of not so often used instruments in metal music. In ‘Origins’, the overall feeling is that they were able to align them all perfectly with typical instruments used by any metal band. This fact might not be very well welcomed by Eluveitie fans – who are used to the somewhat softer approach - but it might open the doors to fans of other genres.
Listening to this album is a mix of emotions. It is the perfect album for a fan of a wide range of subgenres – it goes from folk, to symphonic and melodic death metal. Sixteen songs, they explore it all – which leads me to the negative side of this album: the transaction between songs could be better and, at least for me, some songs could have been left out. However, Chrigel Glanzmann delivers what he is supposed to with excellent results in tracks such as ‘Inception’, ‘Sucellos’, ‘King’ and ‘The Nameless’, being also able to give a fluid sense of harmony when pairing up with Anna Murphy who did excellent work on this album. Tracks like ‘Vianna’ and ‘The Call of the Mountains’ are essential to ‘Origins’, proving that Eluveitie, without a backup female singer, would not be the same; they would not be able to interchange sub-genres as they do. Anna delivers a sense of emotion that can be distinguished from all that is going on in the rest of the album.
Overall, this album is able to feed almost all your needs. The guitars are improved in complexity and heaviness, the vocals are balanced and the already conventional folk sound of Eluveitie prevails. As it is, ‘Origins’ might open new doors for the band or shut a few that were wide open since their early years.
Listening to this album is a mix of emotions. It is the perfect album for a fan of a wide range of subgenres – it goes from folk, to symphonic and melodic death metal. Sixteen songs, they explore it all – which leads me to the negative side of this album: the transaction between songs could be better and, at least for me, some songs could have been left out. However, Chrigel Glanzmann delivers what he is supposed to with excellent results in tracks such as ‘Inception’, ‘Sucellos’, ‘King’ and ‘The Nameless’, being also able to give a fluid sense of harmony when pairing up with Anna Murphy who did excellent work on this album. Tracks like ‘Vianna’ and ‘The Call of the Mountains’ are essential to ‘Origins’, proving that Eluveitie, without a backup female singer, would not be the same; they would not be able to interchange sub-genres as they do. Anna delivers a sense of emotion that can be distinguished from all that is going on in the rest of the album.
Overall, this album is able to feed almost all your needs. The guitars are improved in complexity and heaviness, the vocals are balanced and the already conventional folk sound of Eluveitie prevails. As it is, ‘Origins’ might open new doors for the band or shut a few that were wide open since their early years.
LABEL:
FORMAT:
Nuclear Blast
Album
ORIGINS
Review by Salomé Sequeira
RUNNING TIME:
57:19
RELEASE DATE:
4th August 2014
TRACK LISTING
1) Origins; 2) The Namelsss
3) From Darkness; 4) Celtos
5) Virunus; 6) Nothing
7) The Call of the Mountains
8) Sucellos; 9) Inception
10) Vianna; 11) The Silver Sister
12) King; 13) The Day of Strife
14) Ogmios
15) Carry the Torch; 16) Eternity
3) From Darkness; 4) Celtos
5) Virunus; 6) Nothing
7) The Call of the Mountains
8) Sucellos; 9) Inception
10) Vianna; 11) The Silver Sister
12) King; 13) The Day of Strife
14) Ogmios
15) Carry the Torch; 16) Eternity
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:
Switzerland
"...this album is able to feed almost all your needs. The guitars are improved in complexity and heaviness, the vocals are balanced and the already conventional folk sound of Eluveitie prevails."
