Labels: Armageddon – Stickman
Review by: Kunal Nandi
An absolute joy from beginning to end. You know you’re onto something when your mate plays a record over the tannoy between bands at a gig and the quality still manages to shine through all the background noise and distraction to the extent that you make the effort to find out what the band is and then remember to look them up online. Such is the power of Elder. If we’re talking marketing, Elder sit in that zone where you might find Sleep, Earthless, desert-themed festivals, flared trousers, long hair, bongs and tye-dye, a traditionally dull and reductive musical cul-de-sac that is more aligned with getting stoned than being interesting.
Elder however totally kick out the jams, paying tribute to big stoner jams and elements of prog, but mainly within a pretty up-tempo, slightly mathematical (though never for the sake of it), post-hardcore influenced template that brims over with energy and flow. There is a seamlessness between crunching powerchord and tastefully employed showy solo wrangling that rivals even Annihilation Time. Riffs and sections phase organically from one to the next, never losing momentum even over those lengthy tracks times. And right at the very heart of it are some big, catchy, undeniable melodies, and that’s what will make you hit repeat again and again.
Elder
Armaggedon Recs (US)
Stickman Recs (EU)