The band was founded in the winter of 2002 by Chrigel Glanzmann, real name Christian as a studio project featuring different musicians guesting on different tracks. After Chrigel decided to make Eluveitie a real band instead of a personal project, he assembled nine other musicians, making it a full ten-piece band. The group's sound infuses traditional Celtic folk melodies with Gothenburg-styled melodic death metal and incorporates traditional folk instruments in their music, such as fiddles, tin whistles and flutes, bagpipes and hurry gurdies.
Shortly after the incarnation, the group performed its first shows as a unit including one at Swiss metal festival Elements of Rock, afterwards Eluveitie signed a contract with the Dutch record label Fear Dark, which released a re-recorded edition of their debut 'Vên' in 2004. However as the band's notoriety grew and became a full time commitment for the members, 7 of the 10 musicians left for various reasons leaving Chrigel Glanzmann, Sevan Kirder and Meri Tadić to carry on the project. They recruited six others, including Sevan Kirder's brother Rafi to play bass, making Eluveitie a nine-piece band.
In November 2007, Eluveitie signed a contract with record label Nuclear Blast. The new studio album 'Slania' (a girl's name that Chrigel saw on a 2500-year-old tombstone]) was released on February 15, 2008 and broke the top 40 charts in their homeland. They increased their chart success on every following release, moving slowly up the Swiss album charts before eventually topping it in 2014 with the LP 'Origins' which also charted worldwide in countries including France, Germany, Austria, The UK and the US Heatseekers Chart where it peaked at #1.
Eluveitie sets the stage looking like any other metal band that has played before, past or present. Then you realize there's a seductively dressed woman with a violin and things take a turn for the unknown.
Previously known for their folk metal, Eluveitie dials down the folk and gets to work blasting drum beats and heavy guitars. Lights flicker a black set with gray writing. A vocalist with long dreadlocks starts screaming and the crowd goes wild. Then, they break out the flutes and the drums slow down. Yes, it is possible to head bang with a flute!
Watching a performance by Eluveitie is like a roller coaster, and you'll find yourself eagerly awaiting the next surprise turn. Eight musicians fill up the stage with various instruments, from said violin player, to flutes, guitars a hurdy gurdy, bagpipes, and drums.
In February of 2014, Eluveitie was promoting their new album, Origins, at Chollerhalle Zug in their home country of Switzerland. Eluveitie tours all over the world from Japan to Australia and everywhere in between. Don't judge the typical stage set or the appearance of the musicians. They might be hard to catch but once you do, you will be in for a unique performance like you've never seen.
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