Author: Rok Klemše
Artist: Avven
Label: Self-released
Released: 2011
Runtime: 36:54
Rating: 4/5
Avven burst onto the Slovenian music scene with their 2006 debut Panta Rhei, and it took five years for the story to get its sequel with the album Kastalija. With Kastalija, Avven stay anchored in folk metal, but this time they allowed themselves more daring, opened up the musical space to a greater degree of experimentation and generally built on the debut.
Once again, Avven successfully combine a hard, raw guitar sound with folk instruments that are by turns tender and melancholic, then bouncy and full of life. These instruments are the main carriers of the album’s baroque richness, since you shouldn’t expect any excessive excursions up and down the guitar neck. The violin, whistles, accordion and even trumpet serve to embellish and build on the guitar-drums-bass foundation. This instrumental battle breaks through to the surface already in the epically pompous opener Zmaji, driven by somewhat more aggressive guitars, backed by an interesting trumpet touch and a bombastic, soaring chorus. It’s the choruses that carry the album’s adrenaline-pumping, combative feel, since they’re practically written for crowd singalongs at gigs, which is more than obvious from the album’s better tracks like Zmaji, Ros, Vvile and Hej ti!. The choir-sung choruses also create this feeling of a wild march into battle, though at times they remind you a bit too strongly of the somewhat kindred Siddharta, and it’s mostly the tone of Anam’s voice that recalls them, since it involuntarily brings Meglič’s to mind. The rich orchestrations keep the sound varied and flowing throughout, but Avven deserve the greatest praise for having the guts to create in the Slovenian language. And not only that: Avven manage to write and sing lyrics in Slovenian that don’t sound even slightly awkward, but effective and convincing (only the song titles come across as pretty pretentious). The songs sung in their natural Slovenian habitat sound far better than the two sung in English, and Avven achieve an authentic feel mostly with the Slovenian lyrics. The English-language Tarak, for one, reminds me too much of Korpiklaani/Alestorm filler (this kind of leaning toward folk metal trends really doesn’t do Avven any favors). Kastalija mostly runs at a faster tempo, and the moments of tenderness and melancholy are taken care of by the soft female vocals, which come to the surface beautifully above all in the ballad Nuala (with a superbly built interplay of male and female vocals). In my opinion, though, Avven stumble with the experiment of Ibo, which with its annoying and hopelessly simple polka rhythm would sooner find its place at a village fair than on a more serious folk metal/rock album. sPain is more successful with a slightly different approach, as the sound of trumpets sets a fiery, temperamental Spanish-sounding blaze.
If you count yourself a folk metal fan, Kastalija is definitely something you need to add to your collection. In Greek mythology, Castalia is a nymph whom Apollo turned into a spring at the sanctuary of Delphi, thus consecrating her as a muse of poetry – everyone who drank from her waters was granted a share of her talents. Although there’s still room for improvement, above all in sticking to their own chosen path and not bowing to chewed-up folk metal melodies, with Kastalija Avven managed to take a solid sip from that spring.
Lineup
Aillan – drums, percussion, vocals
Anam – vocals, guitar
Galvin – guitar, accordion, vocals
Ierlath – bass guitar, vocals
Jocc – keyboards, vocals
Morrigan – violin, vocals
Anej I. – Irish whistles, flute
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Eva Dobravec – Evelyn (vocals)
Helena Vidic (string arrangements; 3, 4, 6, 10)
Samo Dervišić (cello; 3, 4, 6, 10)
Eva Dukarić (violin; 3, 4, 6, 10)
Gašper Namestnik (trumpet; 1, 8)
Jernej Poglajen (backing vocals; 3)
Gašper Kačar (additional keyboards; 3)
Production
Matej Režek
Tracklist
1. Zmaji
2. Ros
3. Nuala
4. Vvile
5. Ibo
6. Tarak
7. Hej ti!
8. sPain
9. L.78
10. Tornach
