Eluveitie

Eluveitie is a Swiss folk metal group from Winterthur, formed in 2002 and led by Chrigel Glanzmann. The band works within celtic metal, folk metal and melodic death metal, and combines electric guitars and drums with traditional Swiss and Celtic instruments. Its lyrics are written in English and Gaulish, and its sound is influenced by the melodic death metal scene in Gothenburg.

Career

The group releases its first EP, Vên, in 2003, followed by the full-length album Spirit in 2006. In 2007, Eluveitie signs to Nuclear Blast, and its first release for the label, Slania, appears in 2008. That album reaches number 35 in Switzerland and number 72 in Germany. The band later releases Ategnatos, and also issues the single Rebirth, which marks the first non-acoustic recording by the then-current line-up. In 2022, Eluveitie releases the single Aidus.

Name and identity

The name Eluveitie comes from an ancient graffito found on a vessel from Mantua, dating to around 300 BC. The inscription, written in Etruscan letters, reads “eluveitie” and is interpreted as an Etruscan form of the Celtic term for “the Helvetian”, apparently referring to a man of Helvetian descent living in Mantua. The band also describes itself as “the new wave of folk metal”.

Current line-up

Members listed with the group include Chrigel Glanzmann, Alain Ackermann, Jonas Wolf, Kay Brem, Rafael Salzmann, Nicole Ansperger, Matteo Sisti and Fabienne Erni. Other musicians associated with the band include Mättu Ackermann, Philipp Reinmann, Gian Albertin, Dani Fürer, Dario Hofstetter, Yves Tribelhorn, Dide Marfurt, Sevan Kirder, Meri Tadic, Severin Binder, Rafi Kirder, Sime Koch, Ivo Henzi, Merlin Sutter, Sarah Kiener, Linda Suter, Anna Murphy, Päde Kistler, Michalina Malisz, Lea-Sophie Fischer and others listed in the group’s membership history.