Eluveitie - Ànv Review - Metal Utopia

Band: Eluveitie
Album: Ànv
Label: Nuclear Blast
Genre: Folk metal
Release Date: April 25th, 2025
For Fans Of: Ensiferum, Equilibrium, Korpiklaani

Eluveitie is my favorite band. There, I said it. When anyone asks what my favorite band is, that’s always my first answer. Their sophomore record Slania is my first answer when asked for my favorite album, and the rest of their discography is near-unbeatable. (Yes, even the acoustic albums.) I could write for hours about Eluveitie and their style, their history, their mythos and their unique authenticity. Despite that, I was ready to be disappointed by their ninth album, Ànv.

Eluveitie’s style has been getting more modern as the years go by. They began in the mid-2000s playing a combination of folk metal and late-90s Gothenburg melodeath. Think like Colony/Clayman era In Flames. But recently they have been sounding more and more modern, and closer and closer to… *metalcore*. I shudder to think of it, but it’s true. Gone are the days of Spirit and my beloved Slania, I’ve accepted that. But Ategnatos from 2019 was also an excellent album, and I hope they still remember the glory days of Everything Remains… and Helvetios.

Outside of the music, band leader Chrigel has been involved in a nasty legal battle with ex-wife and former band member Nicole Ansperger. I won’t get into it, but you can read her statement here, and I recommend that you do. I figured this would be a distraction for the band, and would be a smear on my enjoyment of the album. But despite all odds, I actually enjoyed this new Eluveitie album.

In a surprising twist of fate, Ànv is actually much heavier than I expected. I figured that Eluveitie going soft was an inevitability. But following an intro track, “Taranoías” kicks in with double bass and an intimidating chord from the guitars. An aggressive verse with violin flairs on top assuage my doubts, before an obligatory airy clean chorus takes over before a mini-breakdown and another verse, pretty standard Eluveitie faire. A lovely whistle/bagpipe duet and more heavy guitars, a pre-chorus break and a final chorus before an onslaught to finish the song. Immediately following, “The Prodigal Ones” is one of the advance singles, and follows a structure very familiar to fans of the band: this song could have been on Origins or Helvetios. With one of the better chorus melodies on the album, and some heavy guitar breaks, we are off to a good start.

Following an over-long operadic interlude, we get the other two advance singles: “Premonition” and “Awen”. The former is one of my favorites on the album, an aggressive sprint with a huge chorus not unlike the best tracks off Origins. It’s even got a cool tin whistle/violin duet before a guitar solo. The latter is a mixed bag. At first, I felt like “Awen” was uninspired and low-effort, trying to capitalize on the success of “Ambiramus” (off 2019’s Ategnatos). I still feel like that a bit, but I can see what they’re going for. Eluveitie are no stranger to writing what are essentially rock songs, but “Awen” is the most obvious rock song they’ve ever written. That’s not to say it’s bad, it’s just uninteresting. The main riff is decent enough, and Fabi is a wonderful singer, even in a rock-style. I would be okay with it if it weren’t for the obnoxious metalcore breakdown at the back end of the song. I figured there would be songs like “Awen” on the record, and I guess I’m just glad the whole album doesn’t sound like that.

Up next we get a cool Americana-style interlude, before another heavy song in “The Harvest”. Another uptempo verse and a violin wailing on top, we are eating good. It’s very reminiscent of the style of Ategnatos, with an awesome fiddle break and a mini-breakdown akin to Lamb of God. “Memories of Innocence” is a lovely acoustic break, with a gorgeous violin and flute lilt on top, recalling “Isara” and “Setlon” off Everything Remains. It’s really beautiful, and this is the kind of stuff that sets Eluveitie apart.

Following that, we get a ballad led by Fabi and her harp. My cold dead heart would normally hate this, but I can’t deny the musicianship, even though parts of it are basically musical theater. I’m sure it will be a big hit at their live shows, so whatever. It’s definitely the most Disney-core that Eluveitie have ever been, but the melodies in the flute and violin are nice, and Fabi’s got a one-of-a-kind voice. As an immediate palette-cleanse we get “Aeon of the Crescent Moon”, a midpace heavy song with an awesome verse riff, and an intensity that only builds through two false choruses. It’s the closest to a proper melodic death metal song, and it even features a prolonged fiddle shredding section not unlike the iconic “King” (2014’s Origins). Awesome. The final track is a bit of a letdown, but it feels climatic with a medium-pace grandiose feel and some cool tin whistle action. And that’s it. I was confused at first, but yeah that’s it. At only 41 minutes, it’s Eluveitie’s shortest album to date. Normally I would praise a veteran band for exercising restraint, but I can’t shake the feeling this album is missing something.

This feels like a love-it-or-hate-it record. It’s not going to convert anyone to the Eluveitie camp, but it should keep modern fans happy. As for me, I’ve accepted the fact that old Eluveitie is never coming back, and hell I really loved their last record from 2019. Previously, I would have said their weakest album is Origins, written at the height of creative strife within the band. But I think this one might take the crown. It’s not the pile of trash I was fearing, but it definitely lacks the sheer amount of bangers that other records, even Origins, have. There are highlights here, and maybe I’m just jaded in my mid-20s, but it feels like it’s missing something. An intangible, some mythos or passion that they had in the past. At least they’ve had a good run.

Rating: 7/10

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