INNATE PASSAGE

ELDER is the heavy psych band formed in 2005; work in perpetual evolution to develop planing melodies introducing sonic dreams on the stoner and the dynamic psyche, on the metal prog worthy of a DREAM THEATER, QUEENSRYCHE or ANATHEMA at the start, much more on the MOTORPSYCHO of which they must dream while composing. This 6th opus is intended to be avant-garde, with the fantasy rock of the 70s as a backdrop and, at the level of the texts, the current decline of our society, all supported by an introspection of the musicians confined during the great pandemic.

"Catastasis" soaring track, ambient stoner, the voice is integrated into the music, the calm breaks, the second floydian and psyche on MOTORPSYCHO-style synths with trumpet samples brightening the atmosphere; the finale returns to a heavy stoner sound with exploding drums and an impulsive guitar solo. "Endless Return" spatial intro à la TANGERINE DREAM that feels good; typed air that unrolls, sudden break at 4 minutes then it starts again, it spins, it grooves on a sinuous track filled with riffs and changing keyboards. "Coalescence" is meant to be more condensed, culminating with a crescendo over updated sounds of yesteryear; a catchy tune that makes your legs twitch if not a handbanger since the proguish is now bald! Monolithic and interesting! monolithic "Merged in Dreams - Ne Plus Ultra" with well-placed drum work; its evolutive whirling; halfway through we feel that it goes up a notch, Nicholas using his voice to amplify the musical flow just before the digression; break in the last third with hypnotic hang, it calms down, meditative for a time before the last crescendo which risks making the hairs of the arms stand up; in short, a singular evolutionary progressive metal prog movement at the limit of trance. "The Purpose" then continues on a catch-all title where I find reminiscences of hovering MOTORPSYCHO, THE GATHERING of yesteryear for the saturated sound; a wall of sounds, a perfect atmosphere to relax in the evening after a hard day's work.

ELDER continues to progress, to evolve following this pandemic which has frozen the world. A surreal album for a world of the same ilk, an intense, hypnotizing sound, an innate passage required to wake up like a chrysalis. The stoner wants to be more fluid, rhythmic, transcending the air around us to protect us. The heavy prog drawer is very simplistic, between psychedelic prog metal and ELDER sound in fact. ELDER makes music to have fun without wanting to fit into traditional conventional musical criteria, that's good.