Band:	Excelsis
Album:	Tales Of Tell
Style:	Folk metal, Power metal
Release date:	2001
A review by:	Undercraft

01. Intro
02. The Tombstone
03. Gfauni Ängle
04. Tell
05. The Tomorrow Song
06. Dragongroundalp
07. Forgotten Hymn
08. Täu grosse Kämpfer
09. Don't Destroy
10. Out Of Rain
11. Hillflames On High
12. Last Episode
13. Outro
14. Fritzebach (Po.Nuss-Dräck)

No much people know this band, and that's because they're one of the most underrated band In the Folk Metal scene, with the recent explosion of Folk Metal bands, Excelsis should have received their chance with a big label a long time ago, but nobody said that life was fair.

Helvetic Folk Power Metal is what Excelsis does, but is a special type of Power Metal if you ask me, because no typical fast-paced double bass tracks will be found here, instead, mid-paced and anthem-like songs, you'll feel like in a campfire listening stories from a group of drunken bards singing with a mug of ale in their hands each, instead of a group of long-haired-sword-bearers-dragon-slayer warriors of Heavy Metal. Thank god.

This concept album is based in the life (or myth?) of William Tell, national hero from the homeland of Excelsis, Switzerland.
These guys aren't kidding when the say Helvetic Folk Power Metal, the wide array of instruments is pretty incredible, besides a flute and a alphorn they use traditional Swiss instruments like the Dachchänneli and the Talerschwingen, also the use of a yodel choir called Jodlerchor Bärgbrünneli gives the music a fresh look.

All the songs have folk structures, and some use choirs, like "Täu Grosse Kämpfer" (song singed in Schwyzerdütsch, the Swiss language that is based on German), some other songs worth mentioning are "The Tombstone" and "Tomorrow Song".
Besides the weird instrumentation and the storyteller style of the band, some things are lacking, for example, fast paced song, a couple wouldn't hurt, and maybe a variation on the vocals, that doesn't mean that the low, harsh vocals are bad, but could nice to hear some female vocals there, it would fit the music perfectly.

I think Excelsis is going to have their chance pretty soon, with all the Folk Metal bands coming lately, I'm sure there's a place for original music like this, even if there's a couple of things that need to be improved. Hope that Excelsis gets the wished record deal, and shows the world a glimpse of Helvetic Folk Power Metal.