Swiss folk metallers ELUVEITIE will release their new album, "Ategnatos", on April 5 via Nuclear Blast. On an LP both mystical and philosophical, ELUVEITIE propels mythology, pagan belief and spirituality into our modern world. "This one almost became something like a socio-critical uncovering work," says leader Christian "Chrigel" Glanzmann, "some kind of a revelation, a doomsday prophecy. Dark and severe in its atmosphere and charisma, and also occult, arcane and elitist." The album is a manifesto, a fast-paced, highly dramatic and embellished work on which today's society sees itself in the mirror of ancient Celtic mythology and knowledge. "The image, of course, is blood-curling," Chrigel adds with a bitter grin. "At least to those with eyes to see." Far more than a pessimistic swan song for our world, however, "Ategnatos" holds the cathartic promise of renewal. "'Ategnatos' is the Gaulish word for 'reborn,'" Chrigel explains. "To the sharpened mind, it points out the concealed, long forgotten key to change and renewal." This, naturally, comes at a price. "There's always suffering before bliss. And always darkness before light." A work based on archaic archetypes and the ancient concept of renewal, "Ategnatos" unfolds an elemental force to be reckoned with. "These archetypes are still within us," Chrigel says. "People didn't change that much during the last 3000 years — and men were always just men." No wonder the album follows a decidedly darker, monumental tone that suits them very well. Of course, ELUVEITIE has long had its very own trademark sound, a sonic adventure often copied but never overcome. With "Ategnatos", the dedicated nine-piece not only worked with a real string quartet and granted Fabienne Erni's sublime mastery of the harp the room it deserved; they also undertook a holistic upgrade resulting in some of the catchiest, most aggressive and most epic tunes the Swiss metal nobility has ever offered. Recordings took place in their beloved New Sound Studio with their engineer of choice Tommy Vetterli. "Yet it was radically different as we only had four weeks to record this time around — as compared to the eight weeks we had for 'Origins'," Chrigel says. By taking mixing duties to the skilled hand of renowned studio wizard Jens Bogren at his Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden, ELUVEITIE returned to the very spot where it mixed its now-legendary "Slania" album more than ten years ago. ELUVEITIE in May 2016 announced the departure of drummer Merlin Sutter, vocalist Anna Murphy and guitarist Ivo Henzi. The band's new lineup made its live debut at the Eluveitie & Friends festival in January 2017 at Z7 in Pratteln, Switzerland. ELUVEITIE is: Jonas Wolf - guitars Matteo Sisti - whistles, bagpipes, mandola, bodhran Nicole Ansperger - fiddle Alain Ackermann - drums Chrigel Glanzmann - vocals, whistles, mandola, bagpipes Fabienne Erni - vocals, celtic harp Kay Brem - bass Michalina Malisz - hurdy gurdy Rafael Salzmann - guitars
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