I’m firmly of the belief that the acoustic metal album should be approached with absolute caution. Stripping a bunch of noise-making headbangers of their amps is akin to giving a politician an honesty pill right before a parliamentary debate; you’d be depriving them of what truly makes them flourish. However, there is something about an Eluveitie acoustic album that just seems so right. While Slania was essentially a melodeath album, what really gave it appeal were its traditional Celtic nuances and it seems quite natural that they would choose to experiment with those styles to further extent.
That is exactly what they have done here, and fans of Eluveitie’s heavier elements may perhaps find this a bit of a disappointment if they’re after more of the same. There isn’t a thrashing riff in sight, and the deathly male vocals have been eschewed almost entirely in favour of a more feminine sound. After a brief introduction we’re taken in to the delightfully chirpy ‘Brictom,’ which sees the album gets off to a strong start. This tuneful number floats airily atop a strong bassline that pumps through as the bright, shimmering tones of the vocalist frolic along with the flute melodies. Along with ‘Omnos’ this is certainly one of the main attractions on this album; the latter of which sweeps me in with its breezy chorus.
You can picture the verdant pastures and gushing waterfalls behind the music; it all has a very natural vibe to it that takes us to a simpler place where land is unspoiled and the indigenous folk are totally ignorant to our westernized ways, pulling together to create a pleasant community with the music reflecting that perfectly. ‘The Arcane Dominion’ alternates between atmospheric passages filled out with Enya-esque wails and wilderness calls, which are evaporated as all sweeps into a sprightly jig. I simply adore the dark and enchanting sounds of ‘Dessumiis Luge’ with its ancient chants and tribal drums. It’s hard not to become drawn in by its spellbinding rhythm, which is similarly present on the ritualistic ‘The Cauldron Of Renascence’ which brews up a paganic storm that sings out to Mother Earth, before she responds with the gleeful ‘Nata.’
It has to be said that this isn’t the kind of album that will have you entranced from start to end. While there are a fair number of tracks that stand up as individual stunners, I feel the album is weakened significantly by the sheer amount of fillers; these tracks are almost embedded within a thick forest of rustic sounds that break up the momentum of the album while adding very little to the mix. It’s a difficult balance that needs to be struck when constructing these concept albums, and sadly this just isn’t working for me. With fifteen tracks I feel this would have hit with far more impact if halved in length, eradicating the weak tracks…though in the age of the I-Pod it is easy to pick and choose the tracks you want, and there’s certainly enough here for me to recommend.
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