Album Type: Full Length
Date
Released: 27/02/2015
Label: Armageddon
Shop | Stickman Records
‘Lore’ CD//DD//LP
track listing:
1).
Compendium (10:40)
2).
Legend (12:32)
3).
Lore (15:58)
4).
Deadweight (09:28)
5).
Spirit At Aphelion (10:33)
Review:
Elder
are one of the most distinguished bands in the ever-growing, ever-developing genre that is stoner-rock. Their most
recent output before ‘Lore’ came three years ago in the form of the 20-minute
two track split EP Spires Burn/Release. In the interim, vocalist/multi-instrumentalist
Nick Disalvo found time for a new project named Gold And Silver which explored a
jammed-out mixture of psych and prog rock, often nearing the jazzier, more
gentle tonalities.
Such
a spin-off has proven more than fruitful, as the band seems to have borrowed
quite a bit from that approach on this newest outing, sounding similarly reflective
throughout. Not quite what one would expect from a band with a history of being
as heavy as they were on ‘Dead Roots Stirring’. On ‘Lore’, these prior
strengths have really been cranked up a notch but there are moments where the
atmosphere is almost melancholic. This adjoining vulnerability is a welcome development,
as I find it easy to tire of stoner-rock bands that keep cranking out albums in
the vein of ’show of muscles’, where riffs are galore yet there’s less to offer
in terms of variation. Luckily Elder show no dangers of falling into such a trap
as I’ve yet to hear anyone play quite as thoughtfully as these guys.
The
band seems to have quite a fondness of the five-song format, having used it for
both their debut and sophomore effort that they’ve again replicated it here. The
compositions on ‘Lore’ reman drawn-out, as per usual for Elder, so one really
has to take time with it. Out of the five tracks there’s only one that falls
slightly short of the ten-minute mark and the sounds are ever more progressive.
During these lengthy tracks the band ventures further into their own kind of
fables than ever before and it most
definitely always requires an attentive ear.
The
first one out of the gate is a straight up ripper, coming in strong with
throat-clenching riffs that you can’t help but nod along to. ‘Compendium’ is a
very turbulent ride with the guitars sounding absolutely lush throughout, the erratic-sounding
riffs obviously quite considered, with Nick spewing forth with his instantly
recognizable fervour. The song retains its stamina all the way through and the
ten minute run of the track definitely feels like much less. There’s a
captivating turn at midway point, akin to a break-down. After that a build-up
is introduced, combined with a steady stream of guitars lodged between. Some
very groovy riffs come in at the very end that cease the lustrous guitar meandering
and the severe vocals return for a moment. A flawlessly presented beginning to
the record.
‘Legend’
starts off with soothing guitar progressions, very reminiscent of the Gold And
Silver debut. Having eased you into the track, these are soon replaced by a grandiose
growth which serves as an introduction. The elegant instrumental storytelling
then begins, interchanging throughout the track with Nick’s vocals that are masterfully
buried in between the fold. The interplay between guitars and vocals very well
compliments each-other, so devised that the voice manages to infiltrate any
empty creases. There are also some sporadic thicker riffs weaving in and out providing
some backbone for the canvas. The lyrical injections are easily discernible but
quite laconic so even with the track’s considerable length, the story told
still comes off quite ephemeral. Another build-up is employed on this one. When
the summit is finally reached, the song goes onto a joyous descent. The
convoluted riff-fuelled jamming develops until the end, as that one
recognizable guitar theme that has followed beside you the whole way returns
and takes you to the close.
The
title track calls to mind some tale of a mythical journey as it descends deep
into the waters and things get increasingly mind-bending. Ceaseless layers of
guitars really give off a vibe as if you’re being embraced by a constant inflow
of raging waves and you can’t help but drift along to their rhythms. A
deafening surge of guitar is repeated over and over as the soundscape grows
even thicker of rough riffs. There’s
a gorgeous ambient interlude giving some time to breathe before the swell comes
in again. By the time it does, the storm has subsided and you’ll instead find
the shimmering sunlight hanging above the water. The conclusion returns more
forgiving. Triumphant guitars gloriously pick up the narrative and when those abate
there are some invigorating riffs which grow into a consistent riffing wallop, akin to what Austin’s The Sword are
known for. The initial layers introduced in the beginning finally return and sound
very reassuring after the fury that just receded. With that it’s off for an
epic ride into the sunset. It all sounds simple as I describe it but there’s
nothing straightforward about the composition presented here. An absolutely epic
voyage.
‘Deadweight’
starts off with a glistening sound that’s akin to wind-chimes. As the opening
accretions resound, it becomes clear that this one bring back some of sharp focus
in exchange for the blurred horizons of prior. Across the duration of it, the interplay
of gentle and heavy features some guitars glistening, others grounding. On the
whole, this track definitely leans more towards the decimating though with some
relentless riffing. Also, Nick here brings forth some thoroughly earthen
vocals, as if the gravel was spilling from his mouth. The plummet taken towards
the end is really deserving of the title the track’s been given.
It’s
still a little early to set yourself down just yet, as the delight of the acoustic
guitar that begins ‘Spirit At Aphelion’ brings a welcome change of pace to the
restlessness felt on the previous tracks. This one’s a lot brighter and the
guitars sound quite up-beat at first. Having taken the back seat during the
last few tracks, vocals also feature more prominently here. It takes on a more
serious tone toward the middle but that soon falls into an exuberant solo. There’s
some long-winding roaming where guitars flutter as a backdrop and come off as
quite hypnotizing. The end of the track returns for the verse presented at the
star and leads into a final build-up toward its dissolve. I’m usually not too
keen on fade-outs but implemented here it works quite well, leaving the future open
for subsequent tales.
As
a whole, ‘Lore’ is quite the demanding listen. My initial impressions were that
the album starts to drift apart toward end and that the overall structure
might’ve benefitted from a few straight-shooters scattered between the longer forms. The first part of the album
has been arranged with much more cohesion and from the middle on towards the latter,
the instrumentation expands and casts forth way into Elder-space. Luckily, all
who have followed the band through the years know what an exhilarating place
that can be.
The
band seems to be increasingly interested in going off on long-winding tangents
which allow them to go through some complex twists and turns, all pulled off
with such grace and spell-binding precision that it’s easy to forgive you’ve
been taken captive for so long. They delve into some completely uncharted sonic
territory and following them on that path is consistently a gripping experience.
It’s a perfect album for us keen on escapism as marvelling at the end result is
bound to remove you from your daily experience and carry you off into Elder’s
epic tales of yore, the intricacies of which really only start revealing
themselves on many a repeat listens. I’m sure we’ll be absorbing this one for
some time to come, until they decide to take us along on another odyssey.
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