Immersing yourself in listening to Starveil, Fabienne Erni‘s first solo album, is like leafing through a book of spells. The young Swiss singer and musician, member of the well-known folk metal band Eluveitie as well as of the more prog-oriented formation of Illumishade, plays the card of self-production. Daring a work free from commercial logic and in fact giving us a kaleidoscope of all her art.
Starting the journey with Starveil
The album opens with Vareon, a very short introduction where Fabienne‘s ethereal singing opens the gates that lead into her musical universe. Sky’s Breath is the main single for Starveil. Introduced by a harp sound played by Fabienne herself. The song has symphonic metal sounds with a catchy chorus à la Within Temptation. Behind the main song there is always a fabric of ethereal voices that blend well with the sound of the harp, supporting the meaning of the song where nature and the sky symbolize a spiritual awakening. And inner rebirth is also spoken of in the following song: Ritual, although in different ways.
The Ritual of Starveil
Guest in this track is the singer Lena Scissorhands, of the metal band Infected Rain. A band present in this case with three quarters of the line-up, as Eugene Voluta on drums and Vadim Ojog on guitar and bass. Also appear, both present in all the tracks of Starveil.
As expected, Ritual has a dark sound, with references to gothic metal, and Lena’s aggressive voice acts as a counterpoint to Fabienne‘s evanescent one. The music develops just like a sound ceremony, with a crescendo of intensity that reaches its climax with Lena‘s voice. An inner strength is invoked that can transform pain into strength, to finally be able to be reborn.
Melody and rhythm are two ingredients
Melody and rhythm are two ingredients that make Stone By Stone one of the memorable tracks of this album. With a folk and bright atmosphere reminiscent of certain passages of Fabienne‘s main band: Eluveitie. But without the roughness that characterizes the group’s sound. Here to the theme of inner change is predominant, but it is not something that happens suddenly, it must go through a slow process of self-reconstruction. It’s easy to fall in love with this song from the first listen, as it exudes positivity and hope.
Starveil: the narrative and symbolic heart of the album
But the folk sounds literally explode in the title-track, and Starveil drags us into a dance with a Celtic flavour. It serves as the narrative and symbolic heart of the album, depicting a journey of the soul. The word Starveil itself is a play on words whose interpretation is “veil between the stars”. That is, the invisible border that separates us from the spiritual world. We are crossing that boundary, and our souls are joined with joy and light.
Invoking the Shaelun Vyrathi on Starveil
Close to the melodies of Blackbriar, Living And The Dead speaks to us of the bond between the living and the dead. But it does so through a graceful, delicate music, accompanied by harp sounds. We enter a wonderful fantasy world with Shaelun Vyrathi, a short and intense song steeped in mysticism. This, like other tracks on the album, is not sung in English but in an invented language. From the sound of which one can perhaps deduce the invocation of a higher force.
A palette full of different ones
But Starveil is like a palette full of different ones, in fact with the following track Forged In Me the tone is totally changed. And we listen to a fairly simple song that recalls in some ways the style of Hayley Williams of Paramore. We are talking about a force that is created within us born from resistance to adversity and pain. Forged in Me is perhaps one of the weak links of this full length along with another track. Call Beyond Time, a simple melody that does not fully convince. It breaks a bit the intense atmosphere of mysticism of this work, without however subverting its deep meanings. Thankfully Never Let Go puts things back in the right place.
Recalling Shaelun Vyrathi
The song takes up the theme of Shaelun Vyrathi but in a more rhythmic context, demonstrating the fact that all the tracks on the album have a connection to each other in a sort of narrative or path. We find ourselves again in the mystical universe with a melody that once again owes some debt to Within Temptation. Sung in English, Never Let Go is an invitation not to let go of what is important to us. Even in moments of extreme difficulty.
We return to the places of mysticism with Elren, a very short track introduced by a viola accompanied by a percussion. Until the arrival of a mysterious song that seems to come from afar.
Starveil encounters Elren
Sung in the invented language Elren is the encounter with oneself on a deeper level. But we really cross the border with Thalen Muron, a deeply ritualistic track with percussion and singing that approaches the Scandinavian shamanic universe, that of Wardruna or Eivør. Thalen Muron represents the final threshold, the one in which you abandon the old “self” to embrace something bigger. The vocalizations and invented words are part of an evocative and emotional language that approaches the fantastic universe created by Tolkien in his elf language. It is a reconnection with the deepest essence of nature to which man also belongs.
Beyond time and space
We have already talked about Call Beyond Time before. Here the English language returns and reference is made to an inner voice, a sort of guide, which goes beyond time and space. But the ending is once again entrusted to magic. Lullaby Echo is a sort of spiritual lullaby, a song that becomes a reassuring refuge, an inner voice that resonates even when there is only silence around it: “…Starveil calls to all who dare to seek”.
Starveil is an enchanting album
Starveil is an enchanting album whose listening breaks all the hesitation and bewitches with its evocative force. Sometimes intimate and other times powerful, which it reveals all the great talent of the Swiss artist. And although not all the colours of this spiritual fresco have the same intensity, the overall picture is of such magic that you will remain in love with it forever.
Tracklist
- Vareon
- Sky’s Breath
- Ritual (feat. Lena Scissorhands)
- Stone By Stone
- Starveil
- Living And The Dead
- Shaelun Vyrathi
- Forged In Me
- Never Let Go
- Elren
- Thalen Muron 1
- Call Beyond Time
- Lullaby Echo
Line Up
- Fabienne Erni – Vocals and Harp
- Michael Hirst – Guitars & Bass
- Vadim Ojog – Guitars & Bass
- Hannes Bachofner – Electronics
- Coen Strouken – Strings
- Eugene Voluta – Drums