Album Review: Eluveitie – Ànv (Nuclear Blast)

Eluveitie, the iconic folk/melodic metal band are back with their brand-new album, ‘Ànv’, out on April 25th, 2025, via Nuclear Blast.

A sprawling epic that shimmers and shines with creativity, Ànv is a very big album, and not just because it has twelve detailed tracks on offer (fifteen if we’re counting the bonus tracks). No, it’s a very big album because Eluveitie have found the defining feature of their sound, and it comes from a strong balance of folk and melodic metal. Their showcase of Celtic mythology and spirituality is still such an important component of their sound, but they’re so much stronger at making sure each track has anthemic metal qualities too. Even if that might displease those who want to hear more folk in their folk metal.

It’s so easy to find yourself banging your head to many tracks here, but it’s just as easy to find yourself overcome with emotion, lost in the wonderous world of folk melody, and caught up in the theatre of it all. For all the times on the record where Eluveitie either go heavy and hard, or let mellow harmony and pretty melodies takes control, there’s always a strong sense of drama too. Just one of the major aspects of this record that makes it such a compelling listen.

Which it really is. Evident from the start as track after track delivers expressive riffing, intense hooks, two style of vocals (clean and harsh) that work together, and layers of orchestral melody. This is a ‘larger than life’ record with ‘larger than life’ songs, and even with some predictable elements (if you know your folk metal), Eluveitie make it so exciting. Just listen to a powerful banger like The Prodigal Ones (the chorus is epic), or the title track. Which is Fabienne Erni at her absolute best, vocally, alongside haunting ambience. It is delightful.

Do you know what else is delightful? How cohesive the band sounds and how this gives the album such a focused feel.

It’s surprisingly more varied than expected too, and the flow of the record really helps that. Going for a ‘peaks and valleys’ style, the record hits heavy highs, melodramatic lows, has bursts of folkish intensity, and powerful twists and turns that keep the listener on their toes. For example, Premonition is one of the heavier tracks on the album, with some straight-up melodic death metal elements. However, that is followed by the inspired Awen, which makes great use of traditional folk instruments to give this one more ‘oomph’. The melody and metal combination here is fantastic.

Of course it is though, this is Eluveitie and they’re delivering some really inspired music here. Even if there are moments like Anamcara, a short piece of storytelling atmosphere with spoken word, that feel a bit unnecessary. Those moments are few and far between, and overall, Ànv is going to ed for likes of The Harvest, All is One, and Aeons of the Crescent Moon, as well as many tracks already mentioned before. There’s plenty to unpack, plenty to replay, and plenty to enjoy from both a folk metal fan perspective and a melodic metal fan perspective.

Eluveitie – Ànv Track Listing:

1. Emerge
2. Taranoías
3. The Prodigal Ones
4. Ànv
5. Premonition
6. Awen
7. Anamcara
8. The Harvest
9. Memories of Innocence
10. All Is One
11. Aeon of the Crescent Moon
12. The Prophecy
13. Aidus (Bonus Track)
14. Exile of the Gods (Bonus Track)
15. Epona (Bonus Track – Metal Version)

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