Eluveitie - Everything Remains As It Never Was
1. Otherworld
2. Everything Remains As It Never Was
3. Thousandfold
4. Nil
5. The Essence Of Ashes
6. Isara
7. Kingdom Come Undone
8. Quoth The Raven
9. (do)minion
10. Setlon
11. Sempiternal Embers
12. Lugdūnon
13. The Liminal Passage
Armed with little more than an archaic array of fiddles and whistles, Eluveitie redefined the folk metal genre with 2009's fierce yet exclusively acoustic 'Evocation 1 - The Arcane Dominion.' Having toyed impressively with sonic boundaries, the Swiss ensemble have returned with an altogether more extreme opus.
Equal parts aggression and atmosphere, 'Everything Remains As it Never Was' is packed with a diverse selection of blastbeats, traditional folk trappings and razor-wire axemanship. Oozing poetic lyricism and extreme metal's trademark dexterity, 'Quoth The Raven' pays majestic homage to 19th century master of horror, Edgar Allan Poe. Teamed with a tangle of violins, Chrigel Glanzmann's snarls marry seamlessly with a chorus of carrion-feeding birds. Agile as ever, vocalist Anna Murphy is by turns sweet and savage, her menacing verses forming the blackened icing atop this haunting slice of gothic metal.
Treading similarly ambient territory, 'Kingdom Come Undone' is infused with battleground soundscapes, demonstrating the band's inimitable talent for organic songwriting. Though the title track's rapid-fire percussion clashes slightly with a too-delicate whistle section, 'Everything...' strikes a largely flawless balance between brutality and elegance. Testament to this structured expertise, the cleverly-titled '(Do)minion' showcases a violent yet evocative assault, fusing tribal vocals and death grunts with a flurry of strings. Further appealing contrasts emerge in 'Setlon' as a soaring whistle solo ornaments the hurdy gurdy's low, bagpipe-like purr, generating an almost vocal sound quality.
There's also a deliciously demented sense of merriment throughout, creating captivating, frequently giddy listening pleasure. However, it is 'Everything's...' overwhelmingly aggressive edge which sees Eluveitie once again leading the vanguard of pioneering extreme music.
Reviewed by Faye Coulman
'Everything Remains As It Never Was' is out now on Nuclear Blast
|
9
|
 |
CD Reviews 
