Sound: After Spirit, Eluveitie goes on with a more approachable sound. This means nothing less than quite a positive evolution in the way they present their music. In a sea of folk metal bands we have today, Eluveitie presents it's innovation in the "area" of folk music they fuse with metal - that being Celtic folk music.
Spirit presented to us the "spirit" of this music, and Slania is merely an evolved picture of it. The quality of the album is unquestionable, the production is at it's peak and the folkish feel is definetly there, present from the very first second of the album. // 9
Lyrics and Singing: To some, Eluveitie might sometimes seem to be exaggerating with the lyrics, which are often rather complex. By complex, I don't mean the structure, but rather the need for some to pick up a dictionary every once in a while, for the english part of the lyrics of course. Honestly, I don't think of this as something bad, but rather something that creates a border between people who can understand, and thus listen to the music of Eluveitie, from those who can't. Chrigel sings about mostly everything related to the Celtic/Helvetian history, but in a very deep and powerful manner. His growling vocals chant often very strong lines that, most importantly, have meaning and leave a message, occasionally shifting between Celtic and English. // 10
Impression: Slania thrilled me from the first time I listened to it, and it definetly left a great impression. Songs like Inis Mona and Bloodstained Ground are the stuff you'll have on your playlist for a long time, as well as Primordial Breath - these being my personal favorites. There is nothing about this album I truly disliked, as it left a feeling of pure enjoyment throughout my listening of it. If it were stolen or lost, chances are that I'd march on into the store and if the situation allowes it - buy it again. Worth every cent. // 9
10/10