Eight years after melodic death/folk metal masters Eluveitie released their acoustic album, “Evocation I,” the Swiss musicians have stored their electronic instruments again in the rehearsal room. “Evocation II – Pantheon” will be released August 18th via Nuclear Blast Records.
The band has revealed the new cover artwork. They have also launched the pre-order for “Evocation II – Pantheon,” and the first single off the new record, ‘Epona’, is now purchasable digitally as well.
About the new cover. mastermind Chrigel states: “Evocation II is a journey back to the source of it all: Antumnos, the otherworld. Join us on this wayfare through the Celtic pantheon, the world of the gods of our ancestors! The album cover expresses nothing less but exactly this! It’s full of symbolism and meaning and depicts things of deepest meaning and importance in Celtic mythology.
“The symbol contains the ‘great wheel’, symbolizing the wheel of the year with the four seasons and the equinoxes – forming the foundations of Celtic mythology. The great wheel is framed by a tripartite Enneagram; while three is an important number in Celtic mythology in general, we also face trinity in the Celtic pantheon! While the inner circle contains the initials of the names of the deities revered on this album – arranged tripartitedly according to their relations within the pantheon and place in the mythology – the outer circle utters an invitation as well as a blessing, a magical benediction for the one to dare to enter and set forth on this journey.
“The core of the symbol implies triune symbolism. The depiction shows the god Lugus, who was sometimes also adressed in the plural – Lugoves – since he’s a triune god, as well as a tricephalos. The ‘one with the skillful hand’ and ‘artisan of all skills’ is depicted and a combination of two important symbols: On the one hand he’s shown as ‘high king’ (and druid of druids), a typical gallic symbolism of an essential meaning and sigificance. On the other hand he’s framed by the gallic ‘lord of the animals/lord of life’ symbolism: The character surrounded with diverse animals, but being strongly connected with all of them at the same time.
“So after all, the album cover vibrantly and mystically expresses the content of Evocation II! Join & let the journey begin!”
Get your physical copy of the album here. Purchase ‘Epona’ instantly or pre-order the digital version of the new album here.
Upcoming Shows:
Jun 22 Tons of rock Halden, Norway
Jul 06 Resurrection Fest Viveiro, Spain
Jul 08 Rockharz Open Air Ballenstedt, Germany
Jul 15 La Guerre Du Son Landresse, France
Aug 05 Metal For Emergency Filago, Italy
Aug 11 Brutal Assault Jaromer, Czech Republic
Aug 18 Summer Breeze Sinbronn, Germany
Aug 20 Motocultor Festival Séné, France
Sep 16 Cidre & Dragon Festival Merville Franceville Plage, France
Oct 25 MAXIMUM EVOCATION 2017, Parma, Italy
Oct 26 MAXIMUM EVOCATION 2017, Budapest, Hungary
Oct 27 MAXIMUM EVOCATION 2017, Warsaw, Poland
Oct 28 MAXIMUM EVOCATION 2017, Zlin, Czech Republic
Oct 29 MAXIMUM EVOCATION 2017, Vienna, Austria
Oct 30 MAXIMUM EVOCATION 2017, Stuttgart, Germany
Oct 31 MAXIMUM EVOCATION 2017, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Nov 02 MAXIMUM EVOCATION 2017, Paris, France
Nov 03 MAXIMUM EVOCATION 2017, London, United Kingdom
Nov 04 MAXIMUM EVOCATION 2017, Eindhoven, Netherlands
Nov 05 MAXIMUM EVOCATION 2017, Antwerp, Belgium
Nov 06 MAXIMUM EVOCATION 2017, Frankfurt Am Main, Germany
Nov 08 MAXIMUM EVOCATION 2017, Berlin, Germany
Nov 09 MAXIMUM EVOCATION 2017, Munich, Germany
Nov 10 MAXIMUM EVOCATION 2017, Leipzig, Germany
Nov 11 Metal Hammer Paradise Wangels, Germany
Nov 12 MAXIMUM EVOCATION 2017, Bochum, Germany
Dec 30 Halle 622 Zurich, Switzerland
Soundcloud ‘Epona’