One of the most significant bands that revived folk metal in the late 2000s returned to Athens after a 10-year absence away from their Greek fans. Eluveitie, with their new album “Ànv” in the works, are touring Europe for a few shows alongside the rising stars Ad Infinitum and Infected Rain, who made their return to Athens after their first performance in our city in September 2023.
The melodies of Ad Infinitum shook the audience, which had gathered early to enjoy their music. After just 2–3 songs, Melissa, as the frontwoman, along with her bandmates, had already won over new fans who might not have heard their music before. Both her clean vocals and occasional brutal ones were at a level no one would expect for a live performance from the first support band. Their sound, influenced by modern metal and djent elements combined with sweet melodies, is structured around sing-along-friendly choruses. During Upside Down, one of their more pop-like tracks, they got us dancing and absorbing some of the energy that flowed abundantly from the stage. Personally, I felt that Ad Infinitum, much like Infected Rain later on, could easily stand as a headline band in a packed club the size of Gagarin.
Setlist: Follow Me Down / Aftermath / Upside Down / Anthem for the Broken / Outer Space / Surrender / Animals / The One You’ll Hold On To / Into the Night / Unstoppable
After a short break, the Moldovan quartet took over the stage, diving straight into full-metal speeds, with a ton of dreadlocks and headbanging. Infected Rain left nothing standing in their wake. From the moment they called for the first wall of death of the night, the pit in the middle of Gagarin didn’t close until the very end. With bangers like The Answer Is You, we enjoyed Lena Scissorhands’ extreme growls, whose movement and energy carried both her band and all of us through one of the best metalcore/melodic death performances one could experience. Their interaction with the audience is one of their strongest assets, and they undoubtedly won over even the last person casually ordering a beer at the bar. Their nearly hour-long setlist consisted mainly of tracks from their latest album TIME, released last year, but also included songs from their previous works. Closing with Sweet, Sweet Lies, Lena sang along with the front-row fans, climbing onto the barrier in front of them and bringing the curtain down with all the lights on her and her right fist raised in the air.
Setlist: The Realm of Chaos / Pandemonium / Vivarium / Fighter / The Answer Is You / Dying Light / Never To Return / Because I Let You / Sweet, Sweet Lies
After two truly explosive bands and nearly two hours of live music, it was finally time for Eluveitie, who had left the Athenian crowd longing for their return for a decade. Their entrance with Helvetios left no doubt about what was to follow. Folk melodies flooded Gagarin, carried by Lea-Sophie Fischer’s exquisite violin, which mesmerized us throughout the night, and the flute of frontman Chrigel. The eight-member band was rounded out by the expected elements: drums, bass, two guitars, additional wind instruments, and, of course, the unique Fabienne Erni on the harp and her flawless vocals. Naturally, the audience reciprocated with their energy, as the pit, the singing, and the sing-alongs didn’t stop for a single moment. The sound was clean in most songs, with only minor moments where the violin and wind instruments were a bit hard to hear.
Among their older hits—some of which were being heard live for the first time by many fans—we also had the chance to hear five tracks from the new album, set to be released soon. The Prodigal Ones stood out as a relentless melodic death composition, featuring a vocal exchange between Chrigel and Fabienne, while Exile of the Gods had one of the catchiest choruses we’ve heard lately, with Fabienne’s voice reaching ethereal octaves. Tracks from the albums that put them on our playlists 15 years ago, like Slania’s Song and Tavros, weren’t missing either. Some older fans may have wished for something from Evocation I – The Arcane Dominion and Everything Remains as It Never Was, but I don’t think anyone left disappointed after such an incredible performance—one that will be talked about for a long time. There was no more fitting ending to the night than Inis Mona, a song that, even if we don’t speak the ancient Gaulish language of its lyrics, we all sang with our hearts.
Setlist: Helvetios / Ategnatos / Tarvos / The Prodigal Ones / Exile of the Gods / Slania’s Song / A Rose for Epona / Epona / Ànv / Aidus / Deathwalker / The Call of the Mountains / Ambiramus / Havoc / King / Premonition / Inis Mona
The night concluded with the strongest impression left by the outstanding band selection, which made us feel like we had witnessed a mini-festival with three equally worthy headline performances—each distinct in its uniqueness while sharing common musical roots.
Text: Evi T.
Photos: ndrakosphotography
