by Alex Milstein (@thrillstein)
When a band is around for more than a decade, it’s natural for their style to alter and evolve to keep things fresh, but sometimes it can completely change the feel of a band. Such is the case with Boston metal/prog-rockers Elder, who recently released their fourth full-length, Omens, via Armageddon Label. The album shows a huge yet gradual transformation in the band’s sound that now leans more toward monumental prog-rock than it’s metal predecessors.
Their 2008 self-titled debut was straight stoner/doom metal, and they continued that sound onto their second release, Dead Roots Stirring. Then something happened on their third album, Lore. The band began to combine it’s crushingly heavy doom parts with catchy melodies, harmonies, and noodling guitars, and the sound changed entirely. Yet with Omens, the band has continued to morph their sound in new ways. The album is a masterclass in versatility, diversity and endurance -- the shortest track is over nine minutes long. However, it doesn’t stand out as an outlier in Elder’s catalog. It’s simply a step in a new direction.
Leaving behind metal elements that were no longer necessary, Elder have entered a new realm -- one with more psychedelic synthesizers and locked-in grooves -- while retaining the melodic yet high-powered vocals that vocalist/guitarist Nick DiSalvo has been tweaking and perfecting since their self-titled came out. Sonically, the music is just as powerful, it’s simply more refined and focused on Omens. DiSalvo also upped the use of keyboards on this album, which adds an experimental vibe to many songs including “Omens,” “Halcyon,” and “Embers.”
The use of the keyboard on this album adds a fresh, fun layer to the mix, but one of the best things Elder often does is this harmonic solo that offers an intensely chill and cool feel. The guitar harmony has a light, airy feeling, while the rhythm section’s solid groove keeps the song grounded and moving. A great example of this is the eight-minute-mark in “In Procession.” This isn’t an element limited to Elder’s music, but it’s something the band does well and that fans of the band know and love, and it’s amazing that they’ve been able to carry it over into this proggy style of music without making it sound out of place.
That’s what’s really impressive about this entire album: how the band has managed to keep their core sound while simultaneously changing it up. It pushes the musicians (and listeners) to new limits while offering up something lively, different, and fun. The music is still wholly recognizable as Elder -- killer guitar solos, intense emotional passages and driving drums that never miss a beat -- but the sound is more mature, polished. This is no easy feat to pull off, and not many bands can do it with such fluidity. Elder has, and for a band with so much potential and talent, it simply seems like a natural next step in their musical journey.