A little behind the game on this release as it’s already out – and doing deservedly well with a number one spot in Switzerland!
I first encountered Eluveitie when they got a chance to chat to her.
But now, Eluveitie are back with the whole band and a new album. And it’s incredible. It really is.
At first thought, having whistles and bagpipes and hurdy-gurdy and so on can’t lend itself to anything particularly heavy. That’s obvious. It’s going to be very folky with a bit of other stuff thrown in, right? Or maybe heavy but with a token gesture in the direction of the older instruments?
That couldn’t be any more wrong. From the first track to the last, this is an incredible blend of modern electric instruments, percussion, vocals and traditional music. It’s heavy and folky at the same time in a way that I don’t think any band I’ve heard has managed – and there’s a fair amount of competition these days.
Every song is worth a couple of listens purely just so that you’re able to hear every layer. I’d say that as much credit must go to the producers and technicians as the band themselves. At the moment I’m only listening to it through some cheap speakers on my desk at work and it sounds incredible. With decent cans on your head it’s just mind-blowing.
Yes, I know this sounds like so much hyperbole… until you listen to it.
There are songs on here that will have you moshing (“From Darkness”, “Inception”), bouncing (“The Call of the Mountains”) and waving lighters in the air (“Vianna”). The variety of the tracks matches the variety of instruments used to create them. You have to listen to the whole album, not just dip in and listen to a couple of songs.
I honestly didn’t think I’d like Origins anywhere near as much as I do. As it stands, it’s up there as one of my favourite albums this year.
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Related articles
- Interview: Anna Murphy (Eluveitie) (moshville.co.uk)
