It’s been a miserable six year wait, but folk metal fans across the world can finally rejoice: Eluveitie have returned with a new record. In many ways, ‘Ànv’ follows on neatly from 2019’s ‘Ategnatos,’ bringing with it colossal sound design and a hefty melodeath edge. ‘Ànv’ is hardly just a space-filler release for Eluveitie though, there to keep the band alive and satiate the fanbase: rather, the group’s 9th full length LP may just be their most consistent and definitive to date, signalling a bright future for one of the most promising acts in the genre.

‘Ànv’ continues Eluveitie’s trajectory of slowly moving away from pure folk metal: ‘Helvetios,’ this is not. Rather, the band’s latest record sees them plunging further into melodic death metal than ever before, centring the majority of tracks around crushing guitar riffs and a wonderful mix of Glanzmann’s guttural vocals and Erni’s soaring cleans. ‘Taranoías’ makes the band’s focus on heavier, more direct songwriting immediately apparent— the track really is an onslaught of metal and folk instrumentation, barreling into one of many fantastic melodic choruses throughout the album. Though ‘Ànv’ may not be Eluveitie’s most cinematic or lengthy release to date, it nonetheless feels as important and imposing as any previous, pushing tracks like ‘Premonition’ and ‘The Harvest’ to be some of the most dominating the band have ever released.

Nonetheless, the band’s folk roots continue to set them apart from the pack. Elements including the violin, hurdy-gurdy, harp and more score the entire record, winding their way through both flowing melodic passages and heavier segments. Single ‘The Prodigal Ones’ is elevated massively by notes of harmony in its supplemental instrumentation, transforming the track from an already hearty death metal cut into a powerful statement: Erni’s vocals absolute soar throughout the chorus, making this a true standout in the track list. The various folk-adjacent elements are best appreciated in the more withdrawn moments of ‘Ànv’ though, as the group regularly provide breathing room between their heavier exploits. ‘Memories of Innocence’ is a particularly delightful interlude, slowing building from a simple sitar progression into a momentous display of instrumentation— the atmospheric title track serves a similar purpose, even if the cut is somewhat less intoxicating.

Perhaps the greatest failing on Eluveitie’s part is that those metal and folk elements can feel a little too disconnected at times: we really can’t blame fans of the group’s earlier work for feeling a little disappointed that, in places, Glanzmann and company seem more interested in pursuing melodic death metal than they are in crafting the definitive folk metal sound. Though ‘Ànv’ benefits from a powerful and well-rounded mix, it is one that frequently mishandles elements like the hurdy-gurdy— layers like these are, once again, better appreciated in the record’s softer moments, though it’s disconcerting to see these tracks separated so distinctly from the main body of the record. We’re certain that more could be done to merge the imposing sound of ‘The Harvest’ with the mysterious wanderings of ‘Amancara,’ even if both tracks work well on their own terms.

At the end of the day though, criticisms like these seem almost petty when the vast majority of songs here are so thoroughly enjoyable— ‘Ànv’ strips itself of the bloat of ‘Ategnatos,’ delivering a fantastically consistent experience front to back. ‘Premonition’ rips through its thrash-adjacent verses with unspeakable velocity, using its violin and woodwind accompaniments tastefully: between its climactic chorus and thrilling Salzmann solo, the track sets itself out to be a real career highlight for Eluveitie. Much the same could be said of the following ‘Awen,’ which maintains the hearty guitars while offering a much brighter and more comfortable sound, topped by delightful clean vocals. In some ways, ‘Ànv’ sees Glanzmann and company taking things back to basics, delivering some of their most straightforward and instantly infectious tunes to date: it’s an approach that pays off in spades, resulting in a record as enjoyable as it is grand.

Eluveitie round out their latest release on its most cinematic note: though death metal continues to ring out, the group’s folk influences feel particularly celebrated in the final trio of tracks. The melodramatic croonings of ‘All Is One’ aren’t most impressive on the album, in fairness— much more noteworthy is the gigantic ‘Aeon of the Crescent Moon,’ which does a particularly excellent job balancing whistles, violins and pipes against blistering guitar lines and screams. Closer ‘The Prophecy’ takes this idea an extra step further, taking its time to builds from a soundscape of traditional chants and ambient noise into one final explosion of heft and gravitas: in moments like these, ‘Ànv’ manages to feel truly massive, even despite its relatively constrained runtime.

It’s certainly true that Eluveitie’s 9th LP strays quite far from the band’s roots, placing greater emphasis on melodic death metal than it does on the more unique folk elements at the band’s heart— really though, it’s hard to care when the result is this fantastic. ‘Ànv’ may be, front to back, the most consistently thrilling crop of tracks Glanzmann and company have ever managed to assemble, combining furious guitar work and soothing interludes at every turn. Rest assured that Eluveitie have well and truly returned: though the group’s lyrics may continue to look backward, it’s their future that has us excited.