A more integrated Folk-metal sound
Ian C. Murphy | New York, NY | 03/11/2010
(4 out of 5 stars)
"On their last 'plugged in' effort, Slania, Eluveitie favored a heavily Goethenberg influenced melodic death metal sound, utilizing the folk instruments primarily as a substitute for the keyboards another act might use. The result was a tremendous melodic DM album, though at times they sounded like a Dark Tranquility tribute band who replaced the keyboards with a flute player and a fiddle.
On the new record, their folk and metal sounds are much more integrated. These are songs driven by the traditional instruments as much as the guitar and drums. the result is a more original sound that is less a product of their influences (though in addition to the classic Goethenberg 3, you can hear touches of 2nd wave melodic DM like Soilwork and Amon Amarth).
As another reviewer mentioned, the loss here is that the album does not have the aggressiveness and sheer speed of Slania. It is both more skilled, compositionally, and less visceral and intense. I don't know if there's any song comparable to Primordial Breath or Grey Sublime Archon off of Slania.
That said, this is still an excellent album and worthy of the band."
A Surprising Gem, and a shiny one at that!
Jay Requard | Apex, North Carolina | 03/11/2010
(4 out of 5 stars)
"As a fan both of melodic death metal and celtic metal (known to some as "pagan metal"), I have come to consider Eluveitie as the one of best metal acts we have seen in a long time. This album is their forth LP, and their third "metal" release. As with their first, second, and third album, this Swiss outfit has continued to progress in their sonic audacity while at the same time remaining transfixed in the sound they first introduced to the world in "Spirit".
"Everything Remains as it Never Was" is wonderful, yet initially confusing record.
What has been produced this time around is a gem of music that upon first listen somewhat feels lacking in terms of heaviness and shows pop turns that have characterized the "modern death metal" movement, which can be heard in bands like post-2001 In Flames and Sonic Syndicate, which feature clean vocals mixed in with the traditional "textured growl" found in the formative years of the melodeath scene. Many would probably look upon this record and think "yeah, it is a great record, but it is not 'Spirit' or 'Slania'", and they would be right. While it does not favor the heaviness and brutality of "Spirit", nor the melodic metal trappings of "Slania", "Everything Remains" has taken much of both and added to it a word that many "real metal fans" spurn: accessibility, which is born out of a new versatility and willingness to expand the talents of some of the band members, most noticeably Anna Murphy (hurdy gurdy, vocals) who along with violinist Meri Tadic showed their vocal chops in the celtic folk album "Evocation I: The Arcane Dominion". Instead of "selling out", they added a newness to the sound which may very well catapult them to the top of the folk-metal heap, if not break them into the mainstream metal scene.
It is not until the second listen in which one will find the true beauty of the compositions. First and foremost, the addition of spoken word pieces in "Otherworld" and "Quoth the Raven" add a stark measure of thematic focus. The album itself is focused around ancient Gaul, and looks upon the perceived history many believe and somewhat question it the validity of those views while bringing in the known historical truth a voice. Throughout the record are heavy numbers like "(Do)minion", which could be considered a modern pagan anthem, or "Kingdom Come Undone", in which Chigrel (vocalist and multi-instrumentalist) takes on the role of Vercingtorix, the famed Gaulish king who untied the clans to fight against the invading Romans under Caesar. Per usual, Eluveitie injects folk pieces into their albums, but this album features especially brilliant ones. I would refer anyone listening to this album to pay attention to "Setlon" or "The Liminal Passage", two instrumentals that in my opinion outdo many of the songs on "Evocation". One track that everyone should take note of is "Sempiternal Embers". Make sure you listen to it, because in my opinion it could be one of their masterpieces.
So with all these wonderful words on this album, one may ask: "Well, why did you give it only four stars"?
It would be an excellent question, and the answers are simple: While there was a very noticeable change for the better in terms of composition and sound, there were many things missing from the triumph that was "Slania" that I believe they could have built upon. The solos as always are done in folk instrumentation, which while always delightful and captivating, cripple the potential of the two guitarists. "Slania" showed that Simeon Koch had the skill of a great soloist in "Elembivos", but it was not highlighted here. Ivo Henzi, the rhythm guitarist, shines however with some of his best riffs that come right out of the Gothenburg play book while still maintaining a freshness that has been lost on much of the scene. Gone also is the bombacity of the vocals, which have taken on a somewhat "poppy-folk" overtone. This is not necessarily bad, but it could bother fans if they come in expecting "Spirit".
Beyond small quibbles in sound, "Everything Remains as it Never Was" is a great album. Note, "a great album", not "an instant classic" like the previous two metal releases were. Still, pick it up. You will not be disappointed in the least."
One step forward, one step back
E. Scott | 05/10/2010
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Everything Remains has some excellent tracks. Quoth the Raven stands out, for me, as the highlight of the album, and the "softer", lighter Isara is also good. Compared to Slania, this album has more of a noticeable Celtic flair. The great thing about metal is that it can be fused with just about anything, but when you fuse it with something like Celtic music, the balance can be a tricky one to master - depending on whether you like metal music with a touch of Celtic in it, or Celtic music with a metal edge to it, you may or may not love this album. While I love metal, when it's blended with Celtic music I prefer to hear the Celtic part more noticeably, so I personally thought that Eluveitie struck a better balance with this album. The album is not consistent in quality, however; some of the songs are stellar while others are simply forgettable or downright cheesy, dare I say. The opening/chorus of Lugdunon, for example, sounds almost comical and doesn't really fit in with the rest of the album."
Track Listings (13) - Disc #1