It’s been no secret that Eluveitie invokes strong emotions from either side of the fence, as they have an equal amount of loyal fans and critics with their style of folk metal combined with melodic death metal.   With the recent amount of touring and their studio albums, it should be no surprise that the Swiss band has come out with a new album to capitalize on any momentum they have going.  The new album, titled Helvetios, will create a greater divide between fans and critics.

If you’ve heard Eluveitie’s music before, then Helvetios offers nothing truly new to the table.  Where Eluveitie seems to take a turn in their music is the fact that the folk elements are sounding more like square pegs trying to fit into the round hole that is the metal music element.  The two elements are more distinct than on previous albums save for Everything Remains as it Never Was, as evidenced on songs such as “Home” and “A Rose for Epona,” which demonstrates a general lack of flow in music.  One of the main strengths of Eluveitie has always been the female vocals, which have been featured prominently only on Evocation I-The Arcane Dominion, though it did show up a fair amount on the last album Everything Remains as it Never Was.  On Helvetios, it appears that the male vocals take over once again, and while it does offer a different dimension for the band, it also tends to divide people’s opinions on the band.  “Scorched Earth” is the band’s occasional foray into pure folk music, and in this instance, Chrigel Glanzmann’s vocals show a range that surprises even the most ardent Eluveitie fan.  One major annoyance that has crept into the sound is the fact that the female vocals try to show range by demonstrating the banshee screams, as evidenced by “Meet the Enemy,” and while it is a noble effort, it also exemplifies the “round peg into a square hole” analogy that hangs around Eluveitie’s sound in recent years.  Where Helvetios fails is not the execution of the music, but the fact that they try too hard with the music.  The music just doesn’t connect with the listener as well as it did as recently as Slania, their best album to date.

Eluveitie has the ability to create some good music, as evidenced by Spirit and Slania.  The problem of late is that with success, they seemed to have slowed a little with their music making ability, as Everything Remains as it Never Was wasn’t as well received.  Helvetios provides an album of mixed results with some brilliant moments (“Scorched Earth” and “A Rose for Epona”) and some not-so-good moments (“Meet the Enemy” and “The Siege”).  If your opinion of the band is strong one way or another, then Helvetios will confirm those beliefs either way.  If you’re a middle of the road Eluveitie fan, then Helvetios may provide more questions than answers, even after the album ends.

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*Comments:

1.  Prologue
2.  Helvetios
3.  Luxtor
4.  Home
5.  Santonian Shores
6.  Scorched Earth
7.  Meet the Enemy
8.  Neverland
9.  A Rose for Epona
10.  Havok
11.  The Uprising
12.  Hope
13.  The Siege
14.  Alesia
15.  Tullianum
16.  Uxellodunon
17.  Epilogue

Total playing time:  59:12

Release Date: February 10, 2012
Label: Nuclear Blast Records

Eluveitie - Helvetios

Reviewer: Peter

February 18, 2012