Elder play a form of heavy, grooved out Sludge/Doom Metal with hints of Stoner/Space Rock sprinkled in for good measure. The tones are vintage and dry, which gives it a timeless sort of vibe. I’m tempted to throw in the typical Black Sabbath references here, but honestly, it’s more of a subtle influence than an overbearing one like with most of these bands.
Musically, there’s a lot of what one would expect. The songs range from just under 7 minutes to 10 minutes long. There are extended, groovy jams that meld into slower, drudging passages. At times, they sound like a heavy Garage Rock band (like Fu Manchu slowed down a few ticks), other times they have a great, creepy Doom Metal vibe. Vocally, we’re given a decipherable, albeit gritty, mid range tone ala Sleep. These are the kinds of songs that come off like a brick wall of aural tonnage live. Ever the slave to the riff, Elder will get your entire body convulsing to the music…not just your neck.
All in all, this is a fantastic offering of gritty Sludge/Doom; 5 songs totaling just over 41 minutes with plenty of lurch and swagger. It’s tight enough to not sound noisy, and loose enough to sound real. Do what you have to do to get a hold of this one.
Hmmmm, interesting. Like the band name and your review seems spot-on. I’ll check them out. Thanks, Shawn.
on Dec 30th, 2008 at 15:06