Everything Remains (As It Never Was)

Nuclear Blast

Who’d of ever believed that you could be the lead flute player or violinist in a heavy metal band? For a good number of years now the inclusion of such instrumentation has become a constant in the growing underground movement of folk or pagan metal as it is sometimes referred. Over the years metal has evolved exponentially by utilizing cultural influences and while the influence of Celtic music has been lightly introduced in the past through such artists as Iron Maiden, it has never been taken to such an extreme as it has today. Leading the way in this new chapter of the genre is the Swiss band known as Eluveitie.  

With their latest offering, Everything Remains (As it Never Was), the amazing talents of Eluveitie are showcased in a brilliant full kaleidoscope of color. The nine member band strike true and hard with their insightful representation of Celtic culture and traditional pagan values; holding absolutely nothing back. Combining traditional folk instrumentation with the melodic death metal stylings made popular throughout the Scandinavian countries during recent years, the band will no doubt stir the emotions of anyone who decides to take the journey with them.

While the overall feel of this CD is vibrant and full of life there are still moments of both strength and weakness. The bands mastermind and lead vocalist Chrigel Glanzmann is remarkable in his abilities but his sometimes more lightened vocal approach can wear thin. I definitely think he should give more of the deeper growls a wider birth. No doubt that the Celtic instruments are at the very crux of this bands sound but they can be overwhelming at times as every song tends to run about the same pace, however there are some areas where the guitar riffs are so intense they give way to a more diverse set of rules when applied to the overall structure of the music. One huge pleasure experienced here on Everything Remains (As it Never Was), is the few purely acoustic pieces that favor the bands Celtic roots. Their last CD, Evocation I: The Arcane Dominion was a complete acoustic work of this impressive and often overlooked genre, and thankfully we have part 2 to look forward to in the next couple of years.

-Priest