HEAVY MUSIC HISTORY: Slania – Eluveitie
We know almost nothing about the real Slania, a woman who lived over two thousand years ago in what is now Switzerland. Aside from her name, her life is a total mystery. She could have led a peaceful existence in the shadow of the alps or lived in constant terror, fighting tooth and nail against the Roman Empire. We haven’t a clue, yet she became inextricably associated with folk metal. Her name is inscribed on the Davesco stela, a grave monument that dates from somewhere between the 5th and 1st Centuries BC. The dedication reads, “Slaniai Verkalai pala,” which has been interpreted as “For Slania, daughter of Vergos, a burial place.” This short inscription is the only evidence that she ever existed, but it captured the imagination of Christian ‘Chrigel’ Glanzmann, leader and frontman of ELUVEITIE. Millennia after she died, Slania would inspire a classic album.
In 2008, the UK’s metal press were paying close attention to folk metal. TURISAS had brought the genre to the mainstream with 2004’s Battle Metal, but long delays between albums meant they failed to capitalise on their popularity. Veterans like ENSIFERUM, KORPIKLAANI and FINNTROLL were jostling for position at the head of the pack, and Jari Mäenpää’s WINTERSUN was attracting lots of attention. Nobody expected a relatively obscure Swiss group to ride up and almost steal the proverbial drinking horns right out of their collective hands.
Released in mid-February on Nuclear Blast, Slania was the second full-length from ELUVEITIE and it made their career. Their previous record Spirit (2006) was well-received and showed promise, but only really caught the ear of folk metal diehards. Slania opened a lot more doors. Having the backing of a powerhouse like Nuclear Blast was a benefit, but the music itself was a notable step up.
Like their debut, it’s a life-affirming mix of razor-edged melodic death metal and toe-tapping Celtic folk music. Jaunty rhythms and crushing riffs sit comfortably side-by-side; it’s made for mosh pits with maypoles stuck in the middle and it’s hugely entertaining. However, they’d also learned to write tighter songs. ELUVEITIE had nine official members when they recorded this and it could all too easily have turned into a non-stop barrage, but there’s a structure and cohesion at work here. They figured out exactly when to reign their excesses in and as a result, Slania is weirdly accessible.
Arguably, its strongest asset is the atmosphere. Christian Glanzmann is a devotee of all things Celtic, and his passion for traditional music and the ancient world is etched into every song. It’s there in the crackling flames of a campfire, and lyrics written in the Gaulish language. Slania is a twenty-first-century album but it feels old. It wouldn’t be at all surprising to find out these songs weren’t so much written as summoned from deep in the memories of two-thousand-year-old oak trees.
Slania was an instant hit with the folk metal scene. Blabbermouth raved about it, Metalsucks called it “the perfect unison of folk and heavy metal,” and it allowed the band to make their first appearances on American soil. They took part in the Paganfest tour (alongside ENSIFERUM, TYR, and TURISAS) and despite being the opening act, had a fair go at upstaging their tourmates every night. The shows were riotous, high-energy affairs that received rave reviews, even if things did get cramped with so many people onstage.
The album was also notable for introducing the world to Anna Murphy. The backing vocalist and hurdy-gurdy player was only sixteen years old when she joined the band, but soon became a fan favourite. She put in a show-stealing performance as the lead singer of the title track, and the fact it was the best song on the album helped. She became such an integral part of the band that she handled almost all the vocals on Slania’s acoustic follow-up (2009’s Evocation I: The Arcane Dominion) and the interplay between her and Glanzmann became an ELUVEITIE signature for the next decade.
If you know Slania for one thing though, it’s most likely Inis Mona. The album’s lead single is one of the most famous folk metal song of all time; in the fifteen years since it was uploaded to YouTube, it’s been watched a staggering 32 million times. It’s a metallicized interpretation of a traditional Breton folk song and depicts an olde worlde of druids solemnly passing on wood carvings, while grim-faced bearded men with bagpipes play some of the happiest heavy music you’ll ever hear. The four-minute runtime perfectly encapsulates everything that makes ELUVEITIE appealing, and it’s been a fixture of their setlists ever since it was recorded.
A lot has changed for ELUVEITIE in the last decade and a half. They’ve been wildly successful and if you’ve ever ventured into mainland Europe during festival season, you’ve probably seen them live. Their shows are sweaty and raucous and feature what can only be described as enthusiastic “dance pitting” from the crowds. They’ve recorded six more incredible albums and have yet to make a bad one, and there’s no indication that Nuclear Blast will lose interest in them anytime soon.
However, the band today barely resembles the one that recorded Slania. Anna Murphy left in 2016 and formed CELLAR DARLING, along with fellow ELUVEITIE alumni Ivo Henzi and Merlin Sutter. Christian Glanzmann is the sole remaining original member and they’ve gone through multiple line-up changes. He has praised CELLAR DARLING in interviews and there doesn’t appear to be any bad blood, but going through all these break-ups must have placed an emotional strain on everyone involved.
Despite this, ELUVEITIE have retained their place as one of Europe’s biggest folk metal bands and continue to pack the crowds in. And Slania still sounds as fresh and ancient as it did in 2008. From the monstrous death-folk of Primordial Breath and Calling The Rain, to the bittersweet Anagantios and manly jigging of Tarvos, it’s hard to find any weak spots. They’ve improved on it since and delivered better albums, but Slania is still remarkably good. By digging into music that is centuries old, they managed to create something timeless.
Slania was originally released on February 15th, 2008 via Nuclear Blast.
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