Eluveitie - Anv
by Kevin Wierzbicki
Swiss melodic folk metal/death metal band Eluveitie has been around for more than 20 years now and Ànv is their ninth album overall. Their members are really into Celtic mythology and spirituality and with this album their stated goal is to translate their ancient pagan knowledge for a modern audience. And of course to rock your lederhosen off! The album begins with a brief instrumental overture called "Emerge," a nice introduction to the melodic side of the band's sound and an indicator of what's to come. Eluveitie's heavy side quickly comes to the fore as "Emerge" is followed up with "Taranoias" where drums rattle, guitar from Rafael Salzmann swoops and soars and front man Chrigel Glanzmann sings like an angry Alpine troll; the bombast has a counterpoint though: the sweet vocals of Meri Tadić. The pair trade off on lead vocals throughout and while Glanzmann sticks to his gravelly growl, fans with a knowledge of classic rock will hear shades of Pat Benatar in some of Tadić 's work. On title cut "Ànv" Tadić handles lead vocals for the entire song and her breathy delivery connotes both desire and vulnerability. "Premonition" adds some decidedly Celtic flavor to the metal thanks to fiddle playing, also courtesy of Tadić. Glanzmann and Tadić shine on the toned down "Anamcara," a sublime cut with Glanzmann playing acoustic guitar while Tadić speaks her vocals. The pummeling "The Harvest" leads into the Celtic dance cut "Memories of Innocence," a fiddle-driven instrumental that'll have fans setting aside the mosh pit in favor of a barn dance. The deeper you get into the album the more Celtic sounds you'll hear and the overall result is one of the best prog metal albums to come along this year. Available April 25, 2025.
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