Customer Reviews

Evocation I: The Arcane Dominion

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For fans of Eluveitie's previous work, this isn't anything like that, as there's not really any black metal, or even metal influence. Yet, it's not a real folk album, either - I have plenty of straight-ahead Celtic (and even some Scandinavian) folk CDs, and this doesn't sound like that. It IS folk-influenced - there's the obvious presence of the folky acoustic instruments, and Irish/Celtic melodies pop up throughout. The singing doesn't sound Celtic to me - it reminds me of folk-pop bands from Scandinavia, particularly Varttina, which is a kind of cool, energetic sound. The drumming is the only thing that bugs me on this, it tends to have that overstressed "3" on the 4/4, like modern pop-rock (almost techno-ish), although it's not terrible - but it's certainly not Celtic/folky sounding. The overall sound is very polished, modern, professional recording quality, and it sounds good to me.
But then, I don't need a straight-ahead folk album by Eluveitie, there's plenty of that on the market; and they've got two and a half pretty solid Celtic black metal albums out (and there's more by bands like Cruachan and Waylander if you want more), and I'm pretty sure they'll go back to their metal style after this, so it was cool to hear something different. (Finntroll similarly did an "acoustic" 3rd album, then returned to their folk-metal style for the next couple).
So, I agree with the people who commented that it sounds somewhat pop-rock, but since it retains the folk/pagan/ancient Gaelic influences of their previous recordings, it still is better and more interesting than anything you'll hear on the radio - I mean, it would "fit in" somewhat with some modern radio, but it would still stand out and if I heard it on the radio, not knowing what it was, it would be the only thing that would interest me, and I'd run out and buy it! Overall, it's a cool CD with an unusual and interesting sound, and I like it quite a bit. (There is actually a scene of modern folk and medieval pop/rock that this fits in pretty well with, although some of those bands have a goth/80's/punkish rock basis that I don't like as much).
It's still pretty energetic, but will do for those times when you don't want to totally rock out or scare the company, but want to listen to a little Eluveitie.

...then yeah, this is probably not the Eluveitie release for you. But I saw them last night live, and the new songs worked great up alongside Inis Mona and Uis Elveti. I actually had to listen to this release a couple times before I was feelin' it, and now I can't get enough, and it's been within grabbing distance of my car stereo for months. Anna's singing is beautiful on it, and I especially like her and Meri's whispered vocals on a lot of the tracks. Many of these I first thought were instrumental tracks on first listen, but then realized that there's vocals on most of the tracks, they're just back in the mix more (in a good way). Really the only track I ever skip is track 7, which I don't quite care for, but the rest is solid, and I think it really hangs together well as a cohesive album, with the obvious singles not sticking out too much. In other words, I didn't really feel like there was a lot of filler, as submitted in other reviews. That said, I think the singles "Omnos" (which has a great video out for it), and "Brictom" are hooky as all get-out, and grow on you like moss. The album is acoustic, regardless of what other reviewers have said, though I think you have to compare it within the context of their other albums. No, not "MTV Unplugged" acoustic, but come on, in comparison to Slania or Spirit, it's acoustic.

Apparently the next album is close to done, and it's back to straight-up Eluveitie metal, so no worries if you can't hang with this one. I think it was a nice little left turn for the band though, and it really shows them stretching their legs and broadening their sound. Meri has a solo acoustic album out there too, if you liked this release. I've only seen it available at their show, but it's called "Irij", and it's very dark and chill.

I have to say that I think this is a pretty good release from the band. I was really enjoying how Anna Murphy got to take the lead on the vocals for this album otherwise I don't think it would have been as good. If your into music such as: Faun, Neun Welten, and Nest I suggest you give this album a try. And if you really were into this Eluveitie release and haven't heard of any of those bands, check them out for sure.

I'm going to have to disagree with the first review of this album and say that the album sounds GREAT in the gaulish language. I think this is a solid effort by the band, and no, not one second of the album gives off and Linkin Park feel.

I was disappointed though however, I expected something better. Some of the songs don't even have lyrics to them and give off a very immature vibe when being compared to musicians or groups in the celtic/folk genre.

It's worth picking up though as it provides a great atmosphere for background music.

When Eluveitie announced that its next album would be a folk acoustic album it sent shockwaves amongst its growing fan-base. Some expressed disappointment, others like myself, took a let's-wait-and-see approach taking into consideration the talent of this band. Slania was Eluveitie's breakout album and one the two best death metal albums of 2008. Given that they were just starting to gain notoriety around the world for the excellent combination of melodic death metal with folk music, I thought it was premature to come up with an accoustic album. A folk/metal follow-up along the lines of Slania or Spirit would have been the wiser move, in my view.

So here it is. There are two ways this could have gone. It could be better than expected or it could fulfil the pessimist's view that it would just be poor. Unfortunately, in my view, it fails to deliver the excellent music that this band could have come up with. There are 15 tracks plus two nice and familiar bonus tracks. That's a lot of music. However, several songs are unnecessary and have almost no value: A Girl's Oath and Nata- both of which are mainly vocals, the first female, the second ugly male vocals that sound like a drunkard's song. The CD has the same intro and outro song-Sacrapos-which isn't good either. The outro version adds some bells at the end. A lot of songs are listeneable but also unremarkable and forgetable: The Arcane Dominion, Within the Grove, Dessumiis Luge, Gobanno, Voveso in Mori. I will say thought that I am very fond of Dessumiis Luge mainly because ends with an awesome and gutsy girl scream that for some reason I can't stop listening to. This leaves us with a with a few oustanding songs: Brictom, a nice and energetic song gets things started on the right foot. The Cauldron of Renascence, a wonderful fast cheery instrumental song. The single Omnos, which is this album's Inis Mona in so far as once you hear it, you'll be replaying it in your head for days to come. Carnutian Forest, which is hampered by a lame intro that lasts more than half of the song. Memento, which sounds very much like a song by the great German folk metal bands In Extremo or Nachtgeschrei- that is to say, a more traditional folk song that is more bagpipe and guitar-based. And finally, Ne Regv Na, which sounds at times like a good Latin-American pop song.

Overall, this is a very pop sounding album with the vocals standing out far above everything else. In this case Anna Murphy provides the majority of the vocals with Chrigel Glanzmann providing the occasional low-volume scream or groan. Anna has quite the vocal range and a pleasing voice. But as a pop folk album it has to obey the immutable law of pop music according to which an album can have only a few good songs and the majority have to be fillers. And it's a shame. The good songs in this album are indeed outstanding. But too many songs aren't at all. What those songs lack is a certain something- an edge. They are rather slow, mild, musically very light- not the kind of music you associate with peppy or tear-inducing folk melodies. It mostly sounds like there are only 2 or 3 people playing instruments during most songs instead of the full 8 member band. Production is excellent overall.

The band chose not to translate the ancient lyrics. That is unfortunate. And while I do appreciate the text included in ancient scripts, I for one am curious about what the ancient Europeans had on their minds. Perhaps the lyrics to A Girl's Oath or Nata would help us understand the significance of including these lacklusters songs. Translations for some songs can be found online if one searches long enough. The artwork overall of the booklet is nice and complex but the print quality is not good. I wonder if European versions are better. The US version looks like a copy of a copy somehow.

Recommended for those who enjoyed the folk instrumental songs on Slania and for everyone who likes their folk music sounding more pop.

its not just because I am a heavy metal fan, I do listen to lots of non-metal even completely non-rock music, but I do always prefer creative music with melodic verses. and thats what made me not only to buy Spirit and Slania, but also to tell people of the cds who never heard of Eluveitie.
once accidentally found, Eluveitie took really very short time to reach my 'most favorite' list. I got attracted to everything of them, their different way of musical settings, the melodies, the ancient vibes, the strong voices, the medieval instruments and of course, for their ability to mix Rock and Celtic perfectly together.
but where's those qualities in Evocation I: The Arcane Dominion? all I ended up liking is some instrumental tracks (The Arcane Dominion, The Cauldron of Renascence, Gobanno, Memento, Within the Grove). but rest of the tracks? Sorry Eluveitie, can't give you more than 2 starts, only those instrumental tracks can bring you a 3rd star....come on Eluveitie, you can do better!

No matter what they do Eluveitie always comes through. No need for a long review, just get all of Eluveitie's albums and enjoy!

There really are not words to describe how complex this album is, but above all it is a treat to listen to. Its rich auditory texture with the different instruments combined with the Gaelic lyrics is beyond neat. Not much more to say other then that, it leaves me speechless, and somehow words seem crass to describe this work of art.

Awesome and groundbreaking are the first words that come to mind when listening to Evocation 1.

For over a week, I've not been able to make myself pull this album out of my car CD player--and I commute two hours a day!!! As someone who cut teeth on first- and second-wave prog metal (Up the Irons!), and as someone who has been a longtime devotee and player of Celtic folk, I was pleasantly surprised by this album. In the last year, I've become a great admirer of Eluveitie, even though I'm not of the death-growl generation of headbangers. Regardless of genre, this band is composed of top-rate musicians. Their original and borrowed lyrics are philosophically and spiritually compelling. (As the liner notes to this album indicate, Eluveitie likes to dip deep into the literary and historical well of the ancient Celts.) This album is unique, but if I were to put it into a ballpark, it has the conceptual vision and flawless musicianship of something we'd get from Iron Maiden (i.e., Powerslave, Brave New World), the joy of European folk music that we'd get from early Ad Vielle Que Pourra (French-Celtic folk), and the passionate fusion of the ancient and the prescient that we'd gotten from early Garmana (Scandinavian neo-folk). These folks are serious--I am extremely grateful for that, and I take them seriously in return.

Riding a surge of interest in all things folk metal, Swiss band Eluveitie is back with their fourth full-length studio album Evocation I - The Arcane Dominion. Eluveitie was one of the rising stars of the whole folk metal scene, and their 2008 album Slania was a breakthrough album. Naturally, expectations were high for the band's follow-up. Instead of delivering Slania 2.0, Eluveitie decided to serve up an almost acoustic, pure folk concept album sung entirely in Helvetic Gaulish. They certainly challenged the still-developing folk metal status quo with this one!

Unfortunately that risk doesn't appear to have paid off. For all of Evocation I's authenticity as a folk album, it offers very little to "excite the base" - those metal fans who are Eluveitie's core audience. The album is split between instrumental songs, mood-setting barely musical interludes, and songs where Anna Murphy takes center stage as vocalist. It's the instrumental songs, where the folk melodies and unique instrumentation are the focus, that make me wish they had "plugged in" for this one. With a bit more muscle, this would have been a powerful folk metal album. Instead it's a too-tranquil folk music album. To be sure, Evocation I is well-executed folk music, but it's, well...a bit boring, really. Aside from "Brictom", "The Arcane Dominion" and "Memento", which feel like fully realized, somewhat powerful metal songs, the rest of the album kind of fades into the background. Even guest appearances by Oliver Tyr (Faun) and Alan Nemtheanga (Moonsorrow) fail to generate much energy.

This may be one of those albums that takes several spins (or the precise combination of chemical substances) to truly appreciate. Perhaps this is an album that will only please pure folk music fans. For those of us looking for more of what we heard on Slania, namely innovative and memorable folk-based heavy metal, Evocation I can't help but disappoint. Fortunately they got back to making metal with their 2010 album Everything Remains: As It Never Was.