Helvetios


Helvetios is the fifth studio album by Swiss folk metal band Eluveitie. The album was released 10 February 2012 through Nuclear Blast. The CD was recorded at New Sound Studio in Pfäffikon, a municipality in the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland, with producer Tommy Vetterli. It was the last album to include violinist Meri Tadić and guitarist Simeon Koch.

Concept

Being the band's first concept album, it focuses on the Gallic Wars from a perspective of the ancient Helvetians.

Style

The album features melodic death metal combined with Celtic folk music instruments like fiddle, hurdy-gurdy, flutes, whistles, bagpipes, mandola, bodhran, and hammered dulcimer. Band member Anna Murphy has been more involved in songwriting and has been given more vocal parts than on previous releases.

Reception

Helvetios received favourable professional reviews in Germany with the Sonic Seducer magazine calling the album "pure efficiency." The German edition of Metal Hammer lauded the tracks "Meet The Enemy", "Neverland" and "The Siege" for their aggressive Metal style and concluded that Eluveitie's musical virtues were being continued on this album. A review by the Austrian Stormbringer compared the track "The Siege" to Sepultura's style and called the album a "piece of art."

Chart performance

The album reached the top ten on the albums chart in Switzerland and the Top Heatseekers chart in the United States.
ChartPeak
position
Swiss Music Charts4
Canadian Albums Chart73
Finland's Official List47
French SNEP81
German Media Control Charts27
US Billboard 200143
US Heatseeker Albums3

Personnel

Eluveitie

Guests