Chrigel Glanzmann – Eluveitie

It has been a tumultuous past couple of weeks for Switzerland’s Eluveitie. After a statement emerged from the band announcing the departure of long-time members Merlin Sutter, Ivo Henzi, and Anna Murphy, the world of the internet went up into a frenzy. Some saddened by the news and supportive of the members, others outright enraged. It seemed all emotions were out in the open. With the statement also came the realisation that Eluveitie’s string of Australian shows beginning next week in Perth for their ‘An Evening With’ concept would be their last in Australia with the current lineup (with their final ever shows with them internationally in June). After interviewing frontman Chrigel Glanzmann earlier in the year to discuss the tour, I caught up with him again the other day to discuss the recent changes and the band, and what to expect – and look forward to – with these shows. His answers were both promising and insightful.

I opened things up firstly by asking how Chrigel was doing with everything that has happened. “Thank you very much. Honestly, I think I can even speak for all of us, it’s just… you know, even though I personally think it was the best thing to do and the right thing to do, it was a really tough decision and you know the situation at the moment. For me personally, it’s just a tough situation to handle. I mean, we’ve been around for nearly 15 years as a band and then with this lineup — with Anna, Merlin, and Ivo — it’s been at least 10 years, or even more, I think. If you check our touring schedule, you’ll find out that we actually spent most of our lives together on the road during the last ten years. So a cut like this is – personally and emotionally – a tough thing to handle.”

Eluveitie have experienced lineup changes in the past, but not quite to this scale. I asked Chrigel if he was focusing now mostly on looking forward? “Honestly, yes. I mean, as I just said, at the moment — emotionally and personally — it’s just tough. I think it’s the same with everything. Difficult situations like this can always mean a chance — at least if you use it as a chance — and that’s what we’re all focusing on. So in that sense, I’m sure everybody personally is kind of over it. We all just need some time, I suppose. But I’m sure what comes out of it will be great at every turn, and I’m really looking to Eluveitie’s future. But I’m also looking forward to Anna, Merlin, and Ivo’s new project; they are gathering thoughts on this, and I’m actually pretty excited about this and pretty curious. Because I know whatever they do, it will be awesome. I’m sure of that and I’m looking forward to that.”

So how was your show in Switzerland over the weekend, I asked? “It was quite alright, yeah! I mean, it’s like a special kind of tour thingy we’re having going on this year in Switzerland. I think it’s like ten or fifteen shows or something like that, and spread throughout all the year. And those shows are just special shows — taking place in some kind of a circus tent [laughs] which is quite unusual, I suppose! There’s like a special stage setup and we play really a lot of acoustic songs and have guest musicians. It’s just like this series of special shows. The last one in Switzerland was just like one of those, and yeah, it’s been going well. I think it’s a nice concept.”

I then followed up with how the atmosphere has felt while on stage since the development, and if it’s been the same? “Yeah, of course. I mean, it’s tough to handle for us personally and emotionally, but I mean, we’re all professional musicians and it’s in everybody’s own interest to put on the best show ever. That’s the feeling we go on stage with every single show we play. Every evening we play a show, we want to go on stage and put on the best show we ever did. And that’s the same for every single one of us. So, of course, the shows are not affected by this.”

I noted to Chrigel after how I’ve always been interested to know what his stance is on the folk metal genre as a whole? Given Eluveitie are one of very few folk metal bands to use classical folk instruments in their music, I wondered what his thoughts were towards other bands in the folk genre that emerged around the same time Eluveitie did — such as Equilibrium and Heidevolk? “To be really honest, I do not have much of an idea about it. [laughs] I mean, of course, we are kind of a ‘folk metal’ band, and, of course, we belong to that genre, and we play many shows or even track tours with bands like this, but, you know, when I formed Eluveitie 15 years back, it was never like, ‘Okay, let’s form a folk metal band!’ I mean, back in the day, this term wasn’t even exactly established like that. There was no folk metal scene or anything like that. At least not in Central Europe — I wouldn’t know about Scandinavia. But so, to me, the onus was just like I want to have another death metal band and I want to mix it with the kind of music which I love and play — which is Celtic folk music. And that’s what we did back then, and that’s what we’re still doing today.

“We actually never really checked what was going on around us, we just did what we like, the way we like. In that sense, I don’t even have much of an idea about this scene, to be honest! Without wanting to piss anyone off or something. [laughs] There are a few bands from this genre that I personally love and that most of us feel the same about those bands. Thyrfing, for instance, is an amazing band, in my opinion. Also, Primordial. I mean, it’s probably the same for them. They are in this genre. They’re not exactly ‘folk metal’, but somehow they still belong to that genre. But the bands you mentioned, I know them personally — they’re all very nice people — and musically, I don’t know that much of it. But I think, who the hell am I to judge? Everyone should just do what he or she likes, you know? Me personally, I would never play metal with folk parts or influences or whatever if I would not have the real instruments. That just doesn’t make any sense to me, because I think that if you do that — if you just sample a bagpipe or whatever — then you can also just skip the drummer and go on stage with a bloody drum machine, you know? So in that sense, that’s not something I would ever do, but as I said, that’s my opinion, that’s my thing, and, you know, everybody should just do what he or she likes and thinks is cool.”

One of the advantages Eluveitie have with this tour is the length; being a 2-hour performance. Because of that, I pondered the question to Chrigel if they made the decision to accommodate a little for the recent changes and perhaps focus a bit more on select songs highlighting Anna Murphy, such as “Omnos”? “Yes, but that actually was not in that sense a change, but that was already a planned part of the ‘An Evening With’ concept. So you guys will get a lot of Anna.”

Eluveitie are currently preparing for their new record, which will be a sequel to the 2009 acoustic album, ‘Evocation Part I: The Arcane Dominion’. Since nothing is yet set in stone for ‘Evocation II’, I asked whether these changes would prove problematic for the recording of the album? “Honestly, musically, the direction is set, and we’re going to do exactly what was planned. But, obviously, time-wise, it does affect the album. When we’re going to record obviously depends on when we’ll be able to form a new lineup. We really want to take our time for that — for us, that’s really super important and we want to check many people and really choose carefully. So, of course, that’s depending on this. But it’s still absolutely still the plan to go to the studio this year and record ‘Evocation II.'”

Eluveitie have already premiered a song from the new record, “Grannus”, as a part of the current tour. I asked how the response has been. “I mean it’s a very, very folky track, and it’s just this typical Irish folky thing that people start clapping and just enjoying it a lot. So the response has been really good so far!”

Clearly connected again to Celtic mythology, I asked Chrigel if there was anything more he could share about where ‘Evocation II’ may go conceptually? “When we started the acoustic concept for ‘Evocation’, it was clear from the start, let’s make it a two album piece. And what’s the same conceptually on both of those albums is, like you said, they’re fully dedicated and focused on the Celtic mythology. Also, they’re both completely in Gaulish language. Part I had an intro in English done by Alan [“Nemtheanga” Averill] from Primordial, but that was basically the only thing; the complete album was in Gaulish. The aim for the second part of ‘Evocation’ will be a complete album in Gaulish language and early Celtic language. Conceptually, the first part exclusively consists of ancient texts that we just put into music — so that means texts that have been written down two and a half thousand years ago, and have been found during archeological excavations. And the second part will be called ‘Evocation Part II: Pantheon’. So from its content lyrically, it will be something like a stride through the Celtic pantheon. So every single track will be dedicated to one Celtic divinity.”

Before we wrapped the interview, I asked if he had any last words he’d like to offer his Australian fans? “Well, to me, as always, thank you for your interest in Eluveitie and you all rock. We all can’t wait to be back! Secondly, well, come to our bloody shows!” [laughs]

Eluveitie are touring Australia for ‘An Evening With Eluveitie’ this May. With the tour kicking off next week in Perth at The Capital, tickets are on sale now through Tombowler.

Tuesday 17 May – Perth – The Capitol
Support: Wrath of Fenrir

Thurs 19 May – Brisbane – The Zoo
Support: Valhalore

Fri 20 May – Sydney – Manning Bar
Support: Rise of Avernus

Sat 21 May – Melbourne – Max Watts (Hi/Fi)
Support: Stormtide

Sun 22 May – Adelaide – The Gov
Support: Orpheus Omega

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