Over
the last few years, Eluveitie have established a reputation (rightly,
I should add) as one of the best folk metal acts on the scene. Their
last album, Everything Remains (As It Never Was), represented
probably the ultimate refinement of the sound they had been crafting
over their previous three releases. Having reached this point, the
band inadvertently found themselves in the unenviable position of
having to pen a follow-up to that seminal record.
This
being the case, it was probably an intelligent decision to change
their course slightly for the release of Helvetios, by
recording their first ever concept album. Concept albums are viewed
in a different light to the conventional release, and when assessing
this album I have judged it by a slightly different set of criteria
than I would usually have done. Having said this, I found it
difficult to buy into the concept of Helvetios as a continuous
narrative. There is little sense of overall coherence and as such
this album sounds like just another collection of songs, rather than
a true concept album.
That
said, there is plenty of excellent material here and anyone who has
ever enjoyed Eluveitie's previous work will find plenty to keep them
satisfied. Songs such as 'Havoc', with its twisting melodies, and
'The Siege', which features some absolutely stunning violin work, fit
right in with the very best of the band's catalogue.
Though
musically the album is quite similar to their previous efforts, it
does seem that Eluveitie have tried to branch out slightly on
Helvetios. Title track 'Helvetios' and 'Meet the Enemy' both
tend to stick closer to the metal end of the spectrum, their folk
elements uncharacteristically toned down, perhaps representing an
effort from the band to demonstrate a wider appeal and cater to fans
of standard melodic death metal.
Also,
songs like 'Luxtor' and 'A Rose for Epona' are clearly more catchy
and easily accessible. The cynic in me suggests that the latter of
these two was intended as a radio-friendly single release, with its
catchy, singable vocals, and though it is a decent and reasonably
addictive commercial metal song, it's also the type of song that will
grow stale with repeat listens. And, of course, that's without even
mentioning its uncanny resemblance to Blood Stain Child's
'Metropolice'.
Some
of the commercial elements aside, the highlight of the album for me
is undoubtedly 'Meet the Enemy'. Preceded by the spine-chilling
'Scorched Earth' it is one of the only occasions on the album that
truly evokes the visceral horror and chaos of the war that has
inspired this album.
At
this point I should admit that I have been quite harsh in my analysis
of this album, because there really are plenty of brilliant moments
here, and again a remarkably and consistently high standard
throughout the album. If anything, this harsh judgement is a result of
the high standards Eluveitie have set with their previous releases.
Though
I don't feel Helvetios quite lives up to its billing as a
concept, it's still an impressive effort and is undoubtedly one of
the better albums I'll review this year. Moreover, it should see
Eluveitie maintain their status as one of the top folk metal acts in
the world. However, if you're new to the band, while you would
undoubtedly find plenty on this album to satisfy you, I'd advise you
turn to some of Eluveitie's earlier releases to get a truer picture
of what this band is capable of.
VERDICT
