Swiss folk metallers ELUVEITIE will release their next album, the long-awaited second part of their acoustic concept effort "Evocation", on August 18 via Nuclear Blast. The band has launched a pre-order for "Evocation II - Pantheon" and the first single off the new record, "Epona", is now available for purchase digitally as well. ELUVEITIE mastermind Chrigel Glanzmann states: "'Evocation II' is a journey back to the source of it all: Antumnos, the otherworld. Join us on this wayfare through the Celtic pantheon, the world of the gods of our ancestors! The album cover expresses nothing less but exactly this! It's full of symbolism and meaning and depicts things of deepest meaning and importance in Celtic mythology. The symbol contains the 'great wheel', symbolizing the wheel of the year with the four seasons and the equinoxes — forming the foundations of Celtic mythology. The great wheel is framed by a tripartite Enneagram; while three is an important number in Celtic mythology in general, we also face trinity in the Celtic pantheon! While the inner circle contains the initials of the names of the deities revered on this album — arranged tripartitedly according to their relations within the pantheon and place in the mythology — the outer circle utters an invitation as well as a blessing, a magical benediction for the one to dare to enter and set forth on this journey. The core of the symbol implies triune symbolism. The depiction shows the god Lugus, who was sometimes also adressed in the plural — Lugoves — since he's a triune god, as well as a tricephalos. The 'one with the skillful hand' and 'artisan of all skills' is depicted and a combination of two important symbols: On the one hand he's shown as 'high king' (and druid of druids), a typical gallic symbolism of an essential meaning and sigificance. On the other hand, he's framed by the gallic 'lord of the animals/lord of life' symbolism: The character surrounded with diverse animals, but being strongly connected with all of them at the same time. So after all, the album cover vibrantly and mystically expresses the content of 'Evocation II'! Join and let the journey begin!" "Evocation II" conjures another time travel to eras long gone. As the title already reveals, the concept of the first opus will continue and is entirely dedicated to the Celtic mythology. Even more, "Evocation II" takes you into the Gallic pantheon and bows down to the Celtic Gods after which the song titles are named. Anyone who will join ELUVEITIE on this journey will quickly notice that the character of each song is equal to the one of the god the song is about — and there is a lot more to discover! ELUVEITIE in May 2016 announced the departure of drummer Merlin Sutter, vocalist Anna Murphy and guitarist Ivo Henzi. The band's latest album, "Origins", was released in August 2014 via Nuclear Blast Records. The effort was once again recorded at New Sound Studio in Pfäffikon, a municipality in the canton of Zurich in Switzerland, with producer Tommy Vetterli (a.k.a. Tommy T. Baron; CORONER/ex-KREATOR guitarist). ELUVEITIE is: * Jonas Wolf (guitar) * Matteo Sisti (whistles, bagpipes, mandola) * Nicole Ansperger (fiddle) * Alain Ackermann (drums) * Chrigel Glanzmann (vocals, whistles, mandola, bagpipes, bodhran) * Fabienne Erni (vocals, celtic harp, mandola) * Kay Brem (bass) * Michalina Malisz (hurdy gurdy) * Rafael Salzmann (guitar) The new lineup of ELUVEITIE made its live debut at the Eluveitie & Friends festival in January at Z7 in Pratteln, Switzerland. Photo credit: Manuel Vargas
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