ELUVEITIE - Helvetios (2012)

 Interesting choice by the band to come up with a concept album about a character who’s either a time traveler or alien that serves as a not so subtle allusion to the changing face of “exploration” in the 21^st century. 

 

No, not really.  It’s a concept record about the Gallic Wars against Rome.  Really plumbing new ground there!  Well, it’s an Eluveitie record, and it plays out pretty much exactly how one would expect.  Let’s rock!

 

Track One:  "Prologue"

Alexander Morton provides narration to set the stage for the record.  And, uh, it’s a little on the cheesy side, but I think that’s par for the course here.  The basic premise here is that through their songs, which are, uh, loosely paid tribute to here, those who go by “Helvetios” live on.  Sorry if I spoiled the ending.  But in all seriousness, it’s an intro track, it doesn’t mean much except to set a mood and be back-referenced throughout the record.  On to…

 

Track Two:  "Helvetios"

One thing I noticed right away is that in my world of metal sub-genres, “Helvetios” seems to have more a thrash-metal element than we’ve seen from this band before.  This will continue throughout the record.  Listen to the guitar figure and tell me that it’s not something that a band like Metallica or Testament wouldn’t use.  Chigrel gamely plays along with the wordy staccato delivery on the verses, and the shifting back into a verse right after the first chorus.  This is a particular set of musical tricks I’ve come to think of as “thrash” whereas Eluveitie’s pre-Helvetios metal output was pretty thoroughly “melodeath.”  (Leaving us now with thrashy melodic death metal, I guess.  Paired with elements of folk metal?  Look, for as much as I apologize over and over for relying too much on these sub-genres, they are an effective way of summarizing the different sounds that can come from a band,) 

 

Otherwise we have the elements of the best Eluveitie songs executed at an upper-mid-tier level.  Having Anna throw some wordless vocals into the mix will rarely fail to enhance a song, and the dissonant downbeat at the end of the chorus works well.  It’s one of the stronger choruses on the record, and I think it would have benefited from more chance to sink it, even on this long (more on that later) record.  One more chorus would have been in order.  At least it ends very nicely, with the narrator from the prologue chiming in on the last proclamation that “we are… Helvetios.”  Okay, fine, so you are.

 

Track Three:  "Luxtos"

Every Eluveitie record apparently has to have an example of “Uis Elveti”-core, a term I just made up to describe a song that’s heavily built on a catchy figure led by one folk instrument (usually either a wind or an accordion) during which Chigrel tries for a big sweeping chorus with a bunch of up and down movement of the melodic line.  They nailed it with “Inis Mona” on the second record and ever since, either the second or third track of every record is another crack at UsiElveti-core.  So, how does “Luxtos” hold up?  It’s a good example of the form.  Not an all-timer; definitely good.  As a throwback to those olden days, the chorus is in Gaulish rather than English, but there’s enough conviction that the meaning of contentment in and pride in who one’s people are shines through from context.

 

I do think the solo/bridge is a bit basic; this time it’s the metal elements that seem minimal while the folk elements reign supreme.  Appreciate the additional voices on the pre-choruses and the female backing vocals on the final chorus. 

 

“Luxtos” features one more guest appearance from Sarah Wauquiez, playing the zugerӧrgeli accordion.  I assume that’s the lead instrument during the pure folk sections.

 

Track Four:  "Home"

The slow song?  Well, it’s not quite “slow” per se, but the song seems to be in no hurry to leave home, much like its narrator.  The “can I protect you…” element does a lot to add to the whole record-wide story – if you’re fighting a defensive war rather than an offensive one, it’s easier to buy you as the hero.  Anyway, I love the first half of the chorus; think the second half could use a little something extra to really make it resolve properly. 

 

So at this point so far we’ve had a few songs that seem like short ones, emphasizing the metal elements relative to the other stuff.  Each takes a different vocal attack, but all are basically trying to make the case that these are who these people are and how they got here.  Over downtuned guitars, of course.

 

Track Five:  "Santonian Shores"

Even looking at the lyrics, I had a hard time remembering anything about track #5.  Narratively, our protagonists torch their own land en route to a presumed safe haven, I guess exploring every option for survival.  The song still doesn't stand out much for me, especially coming after a few that have similar tones, only developing a vocal melody of note (and a woodwind part of note) in its final minute.  It's there.

 

Track Six:  "Scorched Earth"

The follow-up to the scorching, here is some Gaulish chanting with male vocals, which is a little different than the usual interludes, I guess.  Best description would be a tribal chant-song with minimal folk instrumentation and fire sounds... and despite my ability to say anything else of note, I do find the overall effect haunting.  Haunting enough that even at four-plus minutes on a long record, I don't find "Scorched Earth" to be overlong.  Gaulish devotees can speak about the significance of the word "aidu," here used as part of "aidulegos" and previously as the title of a similarly folky interlude on Spirit.

 

Track Seven:  "Meet The Enemy"

Spoiler alert:  They decide to fight the Romans (or decide that the die was cast, in a rather clever Shakespeare reference).  "Meet The Enemy" is a highlight of what's come so far in many ways.  You have a good chorus, you have a nice downbeat guitar riff on the transitions, and you have an actual interesting and unique pan-flute part.  

 

I like the song, so maybe it says something about me that most of my emphasis is on how I would have constructed the song a little differently.  First, there's Anna abruptly emerging after previously only being a significant (not even “major”) part of tracks 2 and 3, doing a spoken word thing ending in a scream ("we will not BOOOOWWW!"), a la "Quoth The Raven."  Maybe giving that part to the other vocalist makes things feel a little more universal and collective, but... I don't think it works as well as on "Quoth The Raven," where the scream was coming from a voice we'd already been listening to all song long (plus it was a new trick then).  It's a little off here.  Second, I'm not understanding the decision not to lean into the choruses more on Helvetios.  The "freedom was our highest good," the mid-stanza "meet the enemy," and the staccato "it will never be the same" are all sing-along (well, growl-along) motifs.  So, why would you only do the chorus twice?  This could easily have been a three-chorus song, and they could even have doubled it at the end with a few lyrical changes or something, instead of the extended outro that they went with.

 

Track Eight:  "Neverland"

Another particularly thrashy number on the verses.  And then the interesting choice of a multi-voice chorus where the three singers are singing theoretically complementary parts rather than together.  Doesn't quite click for me.  I think I like the violin solo better than the rest of the track.

 

Track Nine:  "A Rose For Epona"

Coming in I'd gotten the impression that this one is... I don't know if "controversial" is the right word, but at least divisive.  Some fans embrace it while others view it as a direction the band shouldn't have gone.*  I get both reactions.  We’ve had Anna-fronted songs before, obviously, but “A Rose For Epona” somehow sounds different than something like “Quoth The Raven” in that it’s a straight-up pop-rock tune.  Sure, there are metal guitars, and sure, there are unusual instruments, but if you follow just the melody line (“the sky is falling down, on me…”), it could have been something by Paramore, or, I dunno, Lacuna Coil?  Or whoever your equivalent artist is who isn’t going to let genre tags get in the way of straightforward and very feminine vocal melody.  Like with any “pop” foray, some embrace Eluveitie embracing this sense that a good tune is a good tune, and some very much wish the band hadn’t incorporated this particular musical element.  And from the start, I’ve been firmly on team… well, whatever.  It’s pretty good.  I like it.  I’m trying to get over my brain constantly comparing it unfavorably to “Quoth The Raven” (most things compare unfavorably to “Quoth The Raven” in my world), but it’s solid.

 

I do think it’s worth noting that the main reason this isn’t a pop-metal song through and through is that it’s an Eluveitie song, which means that Chigrel is giving it lyrics that are not about heartbreak or feeling socially alienated or any of the other topics one would expect to see addressed in a pop-metal song.  Lyrically this is actually really interesting stuff, putting a new spin on the stuff Eluveitie usually do.  In short, this is from the perspective of one character speaking directly to the goddess Epona about her growing lack of faith as the bodies pile up.  That alone not only makes the song something different, but may be enough to push me over into fully embracing it.

 

Track Ten:  "Havoc"

Okay, this is heavy metal.  Loved this one from the start, especially with its strategic placement right after the poppiest song they’d ever done to date, and immediately accepted it as the epitome of this band doing “heavy.”  I don’t have metrics, but I assume there have to be some that would call this the heaviest song they’d ever done, at least as of 2012.  I love how it leads with the violin, before giving the main riff to the guitars.  Merlin (on drums, natch) and Chigrel shine here, doing their most convincing metalling of the record... and yet Meri is somehow steering the ship.  Everything about "Havoc" screams "havoc," and it's great.  I was considering nitcpicking about the chorus, and suggesting that maybe it doesn’t quite live up to the verse/prechorus.  But, I mean, first of all, what could?  And second of all, it's actually pretty great in its own right, especially since Meri’s crazy violin parts just continue.  So, I’m going to back off on the nitpicking.  Great song, no notes. 

 

Track Eleven:  "The Uprising"

This is another track that I can barely remember except for the spoken word bridge from our friendly narrator, and also another track about the decision to take up arms.  I actually like the “let us stand against the Eagle” narration, in part because in today’s thoroughly Hellenized** society we’re not usually fighting against the metaphorical eagle, and because I’ve been conditioned by the record at this point to accept that whenever narrator-guy chimes in it’ll be something important.  Oh, and there’s also a metal song happening.

 

“Pillage” isn’t actually pronounced “pill – aughe,” you know.

 

Track Twelve:  "Hope"

Songs called “Hope” tend to be interludes or instrumentals.  And this one is.  Nice melody (especially once the acoustic guitar comes in), no lyrics.  I like that Helvetios consistently seems to find ways to use the flutes that aren’t retreads of stuff from previous records.

 

Track Thirteen:  "The Siege"

Seriously, listen to this and tell me Eluveitie aren’t trying to be a thrash band.  This is sort of a cousin to “Havoc” a few songs earlier, and musically covers a lot of similar themes.  But in both cases, high-energy and catchy (if you like that sort of thing) vocal part mixed with high-energy string part.  The track feels way too short given how much it rocks.  Especially

 

I don’t generally think Chigrel is a lyrical mastermind or anything, but I do like quite a few of the word choices here.  If I had to pick one line to spotlight, I’d go with “Avaricum The Brave became Avaricum The Grave,” but there’d be plenty of other options too.

 

Track Fourteen:  “Alesia”

Anna gets another lead track, or so it seems as first, before Chigrel makes his vocal presence known.  “Alesia” is a lament that gradually shows its colors as far as its level of despair, and benefits from having two great dissimilar singers who play off each other so well.  I’m a fan of this one; I feel things when I listen to it.

 

Track Fifteen:  “Tullianum”

A brief spoken word interlude ensuring we know about the death coming to our protagonists (the record’s narrative moved remarkably quickly from uniting to face the enemy to the triumph of the enemy).  I’m not going to thoroughly evaluate or critique a track 24 seconds long except to say that it does do what it’s supposed to do, and seamlessly connects “Alesia” with “Uxellodunon.”

 

Track Sixteen:  “Uxellodunon”

Say what you will about bands that are fixated on wars from the past, but they’re capable of coming up with line like “we will raise our arm stubs in pride” that hits way harder than anything a grimy/filthy death metal band can come up with.  “Uxellodunon” is both another solid slab of melodeath and a song that I won’t think about much unless it’s playing.  Despite theoretically being the denouement of or whole Gaulish wars story, this is thoroughly an album track.

 

Track Seventeen:  “Epilogue”

More from Alexander, about as one would expect (“this is who we were.  Helvetios.”), and then an extended outro.  Nice to hear a “dancing” flute again, playing us out.  Not sure this one needed to be more than three minutes long, but I wouldn’t kick it out of bed.

 

Stray thoughts:

) Some of my tone throughout this writeup has been flippant.  I think it reflects the fact that I’m enjoying myself without being deeply engaged.  Not since Spirit have I had to literally sit in front of the computer with a phone and a pair of headphones to remember what any given song sounds like.  That sounds like a harsher criticism than it is, and it’s mitigated by the fact that I’m enjoying a band performing at a high level doing the thing they do.

 

I mean look, just now, I had to listen to “Luxtos” again in order to make a firm decision about whether it or “Alesia” should be my designated runner up favorite track.  Does this mean that the songs aren’t memorable enough?  I can’t shake the fact that I do really like pretty much all of them, once I’m listening.

 

) I do think the length is a factor.  I didn’t even write this review in one chunk, because of how long it takes to get through Helvetios.  Seventeen tracks is a lot.  This adds up to 59 minutes, which, well, I’ve seen worse.  Compare to Slania (48 min) or Everything Remains (47 min) and note that each of these had fewer tracks, and you just have more music ideas floating around.  And yet any given idea has a 50/50 chance of either being over-developed or underdeveloped.  Bloat is manifesting in an interesting way.  I do feel like I need to emphasize over and over that so many of these songs are good; the group is very good at their style by this point.  Even with the added thrash elements (and of course that’s just splitting hairs between similar sub-genres), the songs here are recognizably Eluveitie.  I’ve reached the point where something as mundane as Celtic folk tunes sung in a mix of English and Gaulish rendered as melodic death metal with black metal and thrash metal elements has become the norm.  “Sounds like an Eluveitie song!”

 

) Writing credits of note:  Chigrel gets sole credit for the lyrics except for an assist from Anna on “Home,” but musically the songwriting credits are distributed quite a bit.  Ivo is credited as a co-writer on roughly two thirds of the tracks, Anna on just under half, and Meri on three.  I can’t say any author has a particular flair.  As above, it all sounds like Eluveitie.

 

) I’ve been unfairly diminishing Meri Tadiḉ’s contributions to the band in post after post, thinking that she’s not been as fundamental as she has, and prematurely believing that she was about to leave.  Finally we’re here.  Helvetios was, in fact, Meri’s final record with Eluveitie, before parting ways (amicably, as far as I can tell) in 2013.  She’ll be missed.  Also the last appearance for Siméon, who’d been there for nearly as long.

 

- Favorite track:  "Havoc"

- Runner up:  "Alesia"

- Least favorite track: "Santonian Shores"

- Overall rating:  4/5

 

Definitive running list of records by Eluveitie that I have listened to so far, in order of what I have decided is unambiguously their quality

1)  Everything Remains (As It Never Was)

2)  Slania

3)  Helvetios

4)  Spirit

5)  Evocation I – The Arcane Dominion

 

On to Origins whenever I get around to it!

 

 

 

*And having heard Origins already, I do know that you can draw a straight line from “Rose” to "The Call Of The Mountains," and presumably others still to come.

 

**Yes, I am absolutely mixing historical metaphors here and conflating two different empires in the name of a turn of phrase.  Leave me alone.