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Eluveitie (pronounced el-vey-ti[1]) is a folk metal band from Switzerland. Their sound can be described as Celtic folk metal with melodic death metal influences. The band formed in 2002 and their first EP, Vên came out in 2003. The band has since then released a full length album, Spirit. In November 2007, Eluveitie was signed by Nuclear Blast.[2] The first product of the collaboration, Slania, was released in February 2008. The album peaked at number 35 in the Swiss charts and number 98 in the German charts.[3][4]
One of Eluveitie's two largest draws is their liberal, virtuosic use of traditional instruments amidst guitars and Chrigel's wide ranging, emotional screams. The other is their lyrics; instead of any of the languages currently spoken in their home country, the screams, clean vocals, and occasional spoken word parts are often in the extinct language Gaulish. Eluveitie is Etruscan for "the Helvetian", referring to an inscription dating to the earliest record of the Celtic Helvetii tribe from what is now Switzerland.
Biography
The band was founded in the winter of 2002 by Christian "Chrigel" Glanzmann as a studio project featuring various different people on different tracks. October the following year saw the publication of the MCD Vên (Helvetian Gaulish for "wild joy"[citation needed]). After very good reviews from the scene and the media, Chrigel decided to make Eluveitie a real band instead of a studio project. He assembled 9 other musicians, making it a full 10-piece band.
Shortly afterwards, the group performed its first shows, one including the Swiss metal festival Elements of Rock, and Eluveitie signed a contract with the Dutch record label Fear Dark which released a re-recorded Vên in 2004. Other live performances were played, such as on some events of "Fear Dark Festivals", and even as support for the established international pagan/folk metal acts such as Korpiklaani and Cruachan. At this point, the band became full-time, and 7 of the 10 members left for various reasons, leaving Chrigel Glanzmann, Sevan Kirder, and Meri Tadic to carry on with new members. They recruited 6 others, including Sevan Kirder's bother Rafi to play bass, making Eluveitie a 9-piece band.
A limited edition tribute album to the German-Icelandic band Falkenbach was published in 2006 to celebrate their 15th anniversary. The album included Eluveitie's cover song, "Vanadis".
At the beginning of 2006, there was another change in the band's lineup. When Sarah Kiener was replaced by Anna Murphy to play hurdy gurdy, the band decided that they did not need Linda Suter to play fiddle anymore, trimming the band down to eight members.
In the 2nd quarter of 2006, the album entitled Spirit was published on Fear Dark, and in September that same year Eluveitie toured Europe with the German band Odroerir. At the end of 2006, Eluveitie signed a new recording contract with the German label Twilight Records. In early 2007, they played at Ragnarök Festival.
In November 2007, Eluveitie signed a contract with label Nuclear Blast. The new studio album Slania (a girl's name that Chrigel saw on a 2500-year-old tombstone[5]) was released on February 15, 2008.
On June 4, 2008, brothers Rafi Kirder and Sevan Kirder (bassist and bagpipe player, respectively) announced on their MySpace pages that they would leave Eluveitie following their concert at the Metal Camp Open Air in Slovenia on July 8, 2008.
Eluveitie's next project, Evocation, was announced in 2008, and should take the form of a two-disc concept acoustic album. Chrigel has stated that, despite it being acoustic, the album will feature many of the characteristics of previous Eluveitie work, such as growling vocals. The first part of the album, Evocation I: The Arcane Dominion, is due for release in December 2008. [6]
[7]
Members
- Chrigel Glanzmann - vocals, Mandola, Whistles, Pipes, Gaita, Acoustic Guitar, Bodhran (appears on "Ven", "Spirit", and "Slania")
- Meri Tadic - Violin, vocals (appears on "Ven", "Spirit", and "Slania")
- Merlin Sutter - Drums (appears on "Spirit" and "Slania")
- Siméon Koch - Lead Guitar (appears on "Spirit" and "Slania")
- Ivo Henzi - Rhythm Guitar (appears on "Spirit" and "Slania")
- Anna Murphy - Hurdy Gurdy, vocals (appears on "Slania")
- Kay Brem - Bass Guitar
- Pade Kistler - Bagpipe, Whistles
Former members
- Sevan Kirder - Bagpipe, Flute, Whistles; vocals (appears on "Ven", "Spirit", and "Slania")
- Rafi Kirder - Bass Guitar, vocals (appears on "Spirit" and "Slania")
- Linda Suter - Fiddle, vocals (appears on "Spirit")
- Sarah Kiener - Hurdy Gurdy, Crummhorn, Helvetic Accordeon, Vocals (appears on "Spirit")
- Dani Fürer - Lead Guitar (appears on "Ven")
- Dide Marfurt - Hurdy Gurdy, Bagpipes (appears on "Ven")
- Gian Albertin- Bass, Vocals, Sound Effects (appears on "Ven")
- Dario Hofsetter- Drums (appears on "Ven")
- Yves Tribelhorn- Rhythm Guitar (appears on "Ven")
- Philipp Reinmann- Irish Bouzouki (appears on "Ven")
- Mattu Ackerman- Fiddle (appears on "Ven")
Discography
References
- ^ :: Metalist Magazine :: Interviews :: Eluveitie - - -- -- - ::
- ^ "ELUVEITIE Signs With NUCLEAR BLAST RECORDS". Blabbermouth.net (2007-11-14). Retrieved on 2007-12-04.
- ^ "Slania". Swisscharts.com. Retrieved on 2008-07-27.
- ^ "NUCLEAR BLAST Rocks German Charts". Blabbermouth.net (2008-03-08). Retrieved on 2008-07-27.
- ^ :: Metalist Magazine :: Interviews :: Eluveitie - - -- -- - ::
- ^ :: Metalist Magazine :: Interviews :: Eluveitie - - -- -- - ::
- ^ Eluveitie Forum
External links
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