The RMR crew would like a word. We’re talking about solo artists and those jacks of all trades that grandly strut their stuff around their very own soundscapes. Those often end in misguided and listless endeavors en route to nowhere. And that, when everybody knows that band efforts reign supreme.
And then, there’s those who quietly build their career and reputation. Until they’re ready for a solo project themselves. But instead of going it alone (and failing), they find themselves bandmates for the music and concentrate on songsmithing.
Fabienne Erni is such an artist. I’ll forever remember when she rushed onto our radar in 2017 with Eluveitie on Evocation II: Pantheon.1 Barely over 20 years old at the time she came on board Glanzmann’s2 endeavor, she really had to earn her keep in a hurry after Anna Murphy and her mates left the band somewhat abruptly. The RMR crew was forever impressed by her stellar performance there and ever since. So, expect some abject fanboyism going forward.
Enter Starveil. Erni‘s first attempt at something resembling a solo piece. She already was active outside her rough Folk and Melodic Death Metal multiverse with Tvinna and Illumishade, of course. But here she goes it alone, figuratively speaking. A record that won’t attach itself to a single genre but a multitude of style elements that – allegedly – should showcase the variety of that musical soundscape before us. Or something.
And indeed so. Starveil greets you with a freshness that early Nightwish and Within Temptation lost a long time ago. Erni freely gallivants about pagan, melodic, and – again – folk themes as if there’s no tomorrow. Mostly consisting of elements of rock and folksy ambients, you’ll find a metal incursion here and there. And that is what caught our attention first. Ritual, the track featuring Lena Scissorhands3 from Infected Rain, gets you a mythical and almost perfect female beauty and the beast depiction. All decked out in mystical and harmonious detail with some Metalcore beatz and vile rasps thrown in for good measure.
And that’s a good thing. Because Sky Breath, the second track after the ubiquitous intro, didn’t really fill us with a ton of joy. Some sort of style-mash somewhere in between Scardust, earlier Delain, and Swift-esque Pop Rock. A track that had difficulty stating its purpose over at the RMR Review Desk. And a case for the infamous carving knife, if ever the urge for self-edit would have kicked in.
But by and large, it is the playful and harmony-filled way Starveil conducts itself that truly sold us. The record gorges itself with superior songwriting that actually follows its ideas through to the end. The folky, almost symphonic, Melodic Metal of the title track really got on our good side. And then, the Nightwish-y track, Living and the Dead, convinced us with a sturdy ballad led by Erni‘s elastic voice. Vox gymnastics that surprised us more than once over the length of the record. Starveil even descends into some Wardruna-esque wail-laden, pagan folk piece called Thalen Muron. A concoction full of oldish folk that seems to step straight out of them arcane and long-lost playing fields, we don’t know all that much about.
But by and large, Starveil turned into a description of what Fabienne Erni is all about. Her knack for exploring new musical venues, different moods, and flavors really is at the forefront of this very strong debut. A record less driven by themes but more by a heartfelt desire to experiment and get this one step further. But it is also a mixed bag of sorts. Some tracks could should have fallen by the wayside, no doubt. And it is a pity that this was not done.
In the end, however, Starveil provided us with a light and airy moment in this zine’s day-to-day metal sloth. Living proof that a positive spirit and letting the music take you where it may can result in an impressive musical firework. And this so happened here.
Neat record.
Record Rating: 7/10 | Label: Self-Released | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 13 March 2026