LIVE REVIEW: Eluveitie, Infected Rain, Ad Infinitum, /FORM Space, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, 05/02/2025
Not even a full year on since their last performance in Romania, Eluveitie returned for two headline concerts at the beginning of February. With the release of the upcoming album Ànv looming on the horizon, this was the perfect moment for the band to set out on this trek throughout Europe. Most of all, though, fans were excited that the Swiss folk metal band would (finally) play outside of the Romanian capital, within the compact halls of /FORM Space in Cluj-Napoca. So, without further ado, here’s what we thought of the evening!
First to take the stage were Ad Infinitum, which came following a short delay caused by their tour buses being stuck at the border. Despite having to drop a few songs from their set, the German/Swiss quartet were a pleasant surprise, with intense energy and a great stage presence from everyone. Tracks such as opener Follow Me Down or Surrender highlighted their polished sound, as well as singer Melissa Bonny’s range. Her screams were shockingly good, however – you don’t expect to hear those sounds coming from her, but it just makes her skill that more impressive. After forty-five minutes, the band said their goodbyes, as it was time to clear the stage for the next band on the bill. All in all, judging by this performance, Ad Infinitum have got a great future ahead of them. 8.5/10
A short while later, Infected Rain were up next. Despite hailing from the neighbouring Moldova, and performing in Bucharest just last summer, the four-piece don’t pass through Romania “as often as they would like”, according to frontwoman Lena Scissorhands. That said, they don’t take long before launching into an intense hour-long set, starting with The Realm of Chaos and ending with Sweet, Sweet Lies. While all four members are obviously great at their craft, no-one can outshine the unstoppable force that is Lena. Up until the last second of their set, she is in constant motion, whipping her neon-coloured dreadlocks around or shooting daggers with her eyes while screaming her guts out. Although their style isn’t for everyone, no-one can deny that they get the crowds moshing. And so, with a final bow and an announcement that they’ll be hovering around the merch booth for photos and autographs, Infected Rain leave the stage, paving the way for the evening’s headliners. 8/10
Finally, at 9:30PM, the lights go dim, and an intro tape starts playing. One by one, the members of Eluveitie take to the stage, launching straight into Helvetios. For the remainder of the evening, this Swiss band continued to entertain the sold-out crowd of /FORM Space, playing more recent tracks such as Ategnatos, plus setlist staples including A Rose for Epona and The Call of the Mountains. These two songs allowed singer Fabienne Erni to showcase her vocal prowess and enchant those in attendance – especially the people in the front row, who got to interact with her first hand. Band leader Chrigel Glanzmann was also in top form throughout the night, seamlessly switching between his assortment of whistles and mandola, while also displaying the screamed vocals that have been a mainstay for over 20 years now. In fact, if not for a few greying hairs, you wouldn’t be faulted for wondering if it really has been that long!
With a new album coming out in a few months, and a tour named after it, Eluveitie had also prepared a taste of this new material for everyone, as the band played no less than five songs, including latest single The Prodigal Ones. This track in particular proved to be quite the surprise, in the sense that it is among the rare instances in which one can witness Fabienne screaming. Upcoming track Ànv also served as another showcase of the singer’s angelic vocals, easily transporting you to another realm entirely.
As the night drew out to a close, Chrigel thanked everyone in attendance multiple times for their very warm welcome, before the band started to play their ultimate crowd pleaser, Slania track Inis Mona. At that point, you would’ve been hard-pressed to see someone that wasn’t jumping, singing or headbanging along to that iconic bagpipe & hurdy gurdy intro. Even Matteo Sisti seized the moment as he left the stage to go join the circle pit, all while still playing along with the rest of the band. It was clear that all eight members of the band enjoyed their time in Cluj and, with a final bow and a photo, they left the stage while thanking the audience members one more time. Merci vilmal, Eluveitie! We can’t wait to see all of you perform again. 10/10
