Eluveitie - Evocation II – Pantheon album review

Eluveitie are no strangers to line-up changes, but when three core members left last year it shocked the folk metal community. Evocation II – Pantheon, featuring six new members, is the band’s second acoustic release – a style that suits Eluveitie’s mournful yet joyous take on Celtic metal. Stripped of their heavier sensibilities, and with founder and multi-instrumentalist Chrigel Glanzmann foregoing death growls, Evocation II… is carried by a serene, elemental sense of mystery. Many of the tracks begin with the sound of rain and new vocalist Fabienne Erni’s haunting, earthy tones continue the band’s trend of singing in ancient Celtic language, Gaulish (where do they find these Gaulish-fluent singers?). At 18 tracks it’s a tad overlong, but in songs like Epona, Lvgvs and Nantosvelta, Eluveitie have unearthed some real earworms.