Six years after the release of “Ategnatos” (2019), Swiss Celtic death metal force ELUVEITIE is finally back with a new offering – the cryptically titled “Ànv.” The band took this time to carefully craft a well-balanced and entertaining album that showcases their knack for blending melodeath and folk metal through a rather addictive set of songs. “Ànv” came out on April 25th, 2025, via Nuclear Blast, and it’s a refreshing listen.
In between the melodic death metal numbers and the Celtic flourishes, “Ànv” packs quite a punch as it offers a solid guitar-driven experience for most of its 41 minutes of runtime, with Rafael Salzmann and Jonas Wolf showing off their skills. To keep things balanced, there are three shorter songs that act more like interludes and which cut through that heaviness, bringing more of the Celtic elements to the forefront – the vocally-driven moody title track “Ànv” and the jaunty “Memories of Innocence” do that incredibly well. However, the strength of this album lies in how strong the tracks are on an individual level and how well they work together giving this album a cohesive feel, with Chrigel Glanzmann and Fabienne Erni’s vocal trade-off anchoring the songs and expanding the album’s soundscape when it comes to juxtaposing soaring melodies and harsh vocals. It’s a great dynamic to explore in any band with more than one vocalist, and they are seasoned enough to keep things interesting by always switching things up.
The album opens on urgent folky notes underpinned by roaring guitars with “Emerge,” but that soon gives way to the Celtic-infused melodeath anthem “Taranoías,” which ebbs and flows between crushingly heavy verses and a clean-sung melodic chorus that keeps some of that aggression in check. This is one of the many spots on this album where their ability to blend the intensity of (melodic) death metal with Celtic/medieval influences (that freshen up the genre’s sound) really comes through. Second single “The Prodigal Ones” is more easily recognizable as ELUVEITIE following their formula of fast-paced riffs, growls and cleans that play off of each other, and a hooky folk-infused chorus section with Lea-Sophie Fischer’s violin adding to the atmosphere. The melodeath moments are brooding and dark, with “Premonition” and especially the death metal-infused heavyweight that is “The Harvest” being good examples in this sense, as the urgency of the guitars, the intensity of the growls, and the frantic drumming bring forth a certain sense of melancholy and even doom.
In between these heavy, dark, and aggressive numbers, there’s an overwhelming sense of this being one of ELUVEITIE’s heaviest albums in a long time. However, there’s still room for more upbeat numbers to break through the thick instrumental and layers of harshness. In this sense, and apart from the interludes, the softer and highly melodic “Awen” feels like the spiritual successor to “Ambiramus” with Fabienne Erni’s gentle yet powerful vocals being more in the forefront, backed by some more prominent folky vibes that are entwined with sharp guitars and thundering drums. The layering of growls underneath clean singing gives the chorus more weight and, honestly, I really enjoy it whenever this combination pops up in songs; it gives them such an edge. The album’s ballad is “All Is One,” an emotional piece beautifully carried by Fabienne and which has a wonderful build-up in the way it starts off in a pretty minimalistic manner only to have other instruments joint the fold, gradually making it bigger and bigger but never to the point of feeling like a heavy number.
The final two songs on this album make it abundantly clear this is a melodeath-laden offering, with the folk elements being used more as embellishments and atmosphere for the most part. This is especially clear when compared to previous ELUVEITIE albums, but it’s a welcome return to their heavier roots nonetheless. As such, “Aeon of the Crescent Moon” is another easily recognizable ELUVEITIE track with more thick riffs, folky flourishes, and an engaging dynamic between the two vocalists, just like it was the case with “The Prodigal Ones,” though it doesn’t hit the same highs as the single. The closing track, “The Prophecy,” is another incredibly heavy hitter with tons of dark ambiance and eerie chants that soon give way to furious vocals and lively violin melodies that try to balance the rumble of the guitars. It’s a brooding piece enhanced by some ominous vocalizations that end the album on a somber note.
All-in-all, after a few lighter and more folky albums, ELUVEITIE was due for a heavier offering, and “Ànv” scratches that itch better than “Ategnatos” (2019). For my liking, the three shorter songs/interludes disrupt the flow of the music a bit, but considering the weight and harshness of the songs stacked between them, they are a welcome relief from that onslaught. With this album, ELUVEITIE prove once again that they have a solid metal backbone to their folky sound, and this blend of melodic death metal with a Celtic touch is a really refreshing listening experience.
Written by Andrea Crow
Tracklist
- Emerge
- Taranoías
- The Prodigal Ones
- Ànv
- Premonition
- Awen
- Anamcara
- The Harvest
- Memories of Innocence
- All Is One
- Aeon of the Crescent Moon
- The Prophecy
Lineup
- Chrigel Glanzmann / Harsh vocals, pipes, whistles
- Fabienne Erni / Vocals, Celtic harp
- Rafael Salzmann / Guitar
- Jonas Wolf / Guitar
- Kay Brem / Bass
- Alain Ackermann / Drums
- Leah-Sophie Fischer / Violin, hurdy-gurdy
Label
Nuclear Blast Records
