by Phil Freeman

Pagan or folk-metal, in which pummeling drums and roaring guitars match up with keening flutes and acoustic instruments from various folk cultures, has become one of the fastest-growing subgenres in metal, and Eluveitie created a sensation with their second full-length CD, 2008's Slania. This follow-up takes things to extremes, though, as the members of the Swiss eight-piece have put down their electric instruments and instead recorded an atmospheric, entirely folk-style record. Granted, they've done acoustic instrumental tracks on previous discs -- "Samon," "Anagantios," and "Giamonios" on Slania all plowed a similarly traditionalist groove -- but the focus on those sounds this time out offers Eluveitie the opportunity to expand their listener base beyond the metal audience. Their compositions continue to have the anthemic, cathartic power of metal, even without blastbeats or guitar solos, but there's an ominous feeling throughout Evocation I: The Arcane Dominion, particularly when Anna Murphy's hurdy-gurdy and new member Päde's flutes and whistles are droning and keening from the speakers. You'll be forgiven for looking down, expecting to see mist curling around your feet. Vocals in Gaulish, mostly by Murphy but sometimes by bandleader Chrigel Glanzmann, accentuate the Old World (really old -- the language predates Latin) vibe. The songs are all relatively short, and bracketed by intro and outro tracks as well as the short spoken piece "A Girl's Oath," so this journey into Europe's mystical past comes in under an hour, perfect for short modern attention spans. At the same time, it marks Eluveitie as one of the most interesting bands within their genre, and whets one's appetite for their return to full-blown metal.