Eluveitie - Everything Remains As it Never Was

February 19, 2010

Reviewer: Peter

In the time since Eluveitie broke into the consciousness of metal fans everywhere with their debut full-length, Spirit, in 2006, the band has made a rapid ascent through the ranks, signing with Nuclear Blast Records along the way and gaining new fans in the process.  Of course, the ascent isn’t exactly without controversy, as for every new fan that they gain, they also seem to gain a new detractor.  That hasn’t stopped the band from releasing some great albums in Slania and Evocation I: The Arcane Dominion, with the latter being a sharp 180-degree turn from their usual fare.

So, what is a band to do for a follow-up?  In the case of Eluveitie, the answer comes in the form of their new album, Everything Remains (As it Never Was).  Even before listening to the album, it is clear that the band has set the bar very high for itself.  So, to that end, the band pulls out all of the stops, namely hiring Tommy Vetterli, Colin Richardson and John Davis to record, mix and master the album, respectively.  The results are hit and miss (mostly hit), but not from a lack of effort.

As it always seems with every Eluveitie album, the band begins with some kind of intro, with “Otherworld” doing the honors this time around.  At the end is a rather similar sounding outro in the form of “The Liminal Passage.”  Both are somber bookends for everything in between them.  For the first three actual songs, it seems that Eluveitie doesn’t miss a beat in getting back to the metal side of things, although on the band’s first single “Thousandfold,” they venture dangerously close to Elvenking territory.  The folk elements are reminiscent of Elvenking, though tweaked just enough to barely sound different.

The band really begins to hit their stride on “The Essence of the Ashes,” as vocalist Chrigel Glanzmann shows some range, which was first touched upon, albeit briefly, on Evocation I: The Arcane Dominion.  There is a nice folk interlude in the middle of the album in “Isara,” which gives the listener some breathing room before it heads back onto the metal side of things.  “Quoth the Raven” is really Eluveitie testing the waters for some kind of larger scale acceptance, in that it doesn’t carry the prerequisite heaviness of the guitars that most of the songs that they play do, but it offers a nice change of pace that sees its fair share of female vocals, complete with some range expansion.  Female vocals are also used a little more often than on Slania, and are dispersed throughout the album a little more evenly, instead being on only one song.

Another instrumental, “Setlon” provides some more relief in the form of some traditional folk sounds.  Give the band credit for having great sense of timing when it comes to instrumentals because it seems as though they know when to put the pedal to the metal and when to let go.  It also allows the listener a chance to experience the two sides of Eluveitie in fairly equal doses.  As a whole, if you have followed Eluveitie for a while, you know what to expect, aside from the subtle changes in sound, such as vocal range and even a guitar solo on “Lugdunon,” for good measure.  The production values are pretty close to top level, which clearly means that the band expects a lot from themselves. 

Does Everything Remains (As it Never Was) top Slania?  The short answer is no, but it comes fairly close.  That is where the new album ends up, as they release yet another solid effort that will satisfy longtime fans.  Progression is key, and Eluveitie shows that, albeit in a rather subtle manner.  It proves just as well, as it gives the band something to shoot for when they decide to make another album.  Another step in the right direction for the band, there is much to look forward to for Eluveitie.

Release Date: February 19, 2010
Label : Nuclear Blast Records

TRACK LISTING

1.  Otherworld
2.  Everything Remains
    (As it Never Was)
3.  Thousandfold
4.  Nil
5.  The Essence of the Ashes
6.  Isara
7.  Kingdom Come Undone
8.  Quoth the Raven
9.  (Do)Minion
10.  Setlon
11.  Sempiternal Embers
12.  Lugdunon
13.  The Liminal Passage

Total playing time:  44:23

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