INNATE PASSAGE

I first heard about Elder following the release of their 2017 album Reflections of a Floating World, and was instantly floored with the extremely thick and dense stoner doom sound mixed with atmospheric psychedelia and prog rock. While this certainly isn't new for stoner doom bands to mix prog into their sound, with bands such as Pallbearer and Baroness coming to mind as notable examples, Elder stands out as they embrace the darker and more mysterious aspects of prog to add to their already murky sound. Naturally this got me intrigued with what the band would do next, and while 2020's Omens disappointed me with meandering song structures and a lackluster vocal performance, I still respected the exploration of a softer sound with the prog influences being placed more at the forefront. The instrumental performances themselves also became more involved, featuring more complex riffing between the guitars, bass, and keyboards.

This leads me into talking about their latest record, Innate Passage, which in many ways feels like a happy medium between Reflections and Omens. Songs on this LP transition from a sludgy groove with a gritty guitar tone and thunderous bass to a smoother and more melodic jam with ease, making the songwriting feel much more dynamic and satisfying to listen to than the previous record. It also helps the pacing of Innate Passage that most of the five songs are shorter than what was found on the previous two releases, with the only song considerably longer than 10 minutes being "Merged in Dreams ? Ne Plus Ultra". This penultimate track is where the majority of the progisms reside, featuring extended moody segments filled with reverby guitar riffs and Moog synth lines. Performances are just as tight on this record, with the guitars and keyboards performing playful runs that feel reminiscent of Fragile-era Yes throughout. The bass and keyboards also get a moment to play off of each other as well about halfway through "Endless Return", in one of the record's most sublime moments.

The production is excellent as well, giving each instrument its proper room to breathe, however the vocals are still the weakest link on this record. While they are certainly not bad, the vocals are buried in the mix and struggle desperately to break free, albeit to limited success. This problem isn't helped too much by the fact that singing on this record is so few and far between that whenever the vocals show up, the difference in quality is noticeable right away. Despite this mild annoyance, Innate Passage is still an incredible record, showing that Elder is still able to craft an experience that, while not as groundbreaking as Reflections, is still immensely rewarding to listen to.

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.

A stunningly great album, and a big surprise for me, as I generally don't care much for 'Heavy' Prog, or anything that has strong 'metal' tendencies, but this is fantastic. And I think their earlier reputation as a 'stoner metal' band, or whatever, just no longer applies. This is a fantastic progressive rock album, certainly with some definite psychedelia atmospherics, hard-rockin' at times, but also very intricately crafted and even delicate at times, with lush soundscapes and immersive atmosphere. And yes, quite melodic as well. Just a stunning album of great extended tracks that rocks, rolls, comforts, and delights, with intriguing and enigmatic riffs and moods. A brilliant album that I'm sure will rise even higher as I listen to it more. Best Tracks: Catastasis, Coalescence, The Purpose, Merged in Dreams-Ne Plus Ultra. rating: 4.5

A late arrival in the musical year (released on November 25), this Berlin-based (originally formed in Boston, Mass.) ensemble celebrates their 15th year with only their seventh album release.

1. "Catastasis" (10:50) long-rising mid-to-low synth note is soon joined by arpeggiating guitar before full band kicks in at the very end of the first minute. At 1:30 there is an introduction of keyboard sounds that give the grungy baseline track some new life--a lighter, more interesting aspect--which is then culminated with a wild synth solo just before a quiet "reset" bridge before vocalist Nicholas DiSalvo's Kevin Moore-like voice enters to sing. Musical shift at 3:40 into heavier, MOTORPSYCHO-like motif allows Nicholas a chance to explore new styling and melody. I really like the instrumental passage in the middle of the fifth minute, just before the grungy MOTORPSYCHO section that follows. Then at 5:42 we emerge from another high-speed tunnel with Mellotrons and softly arpeggiated guitars and bass into a more uplifting, high-sky region--one in which the keys and guitars seem to support the skyward exploration of our eyes (and dreams). Wonderful! The eight minute turns quite NEKATR-like before the "choral" style multi-voice vocals enter singing a gently melodied passage. At 8:40 we then revert to some more guitar-oriented grunge music as the guitars solo over the top. At 9:44 we then return to a more melodic though still heavy motif over which a Richard Wright-like synth solos to the song's close. Very good song--and a great sounding start to this album. (18.25/20)

2. "Endless Return" (9:54) intricately performed music on a complexity level somewhere between those of MOTORPSYCHO and Jared Leach's GHOST MEDICINE. Not very engaging until the more melodic and smoothed out second half. Nice choral vocals. A tough song to rate since I didn't connect at all (except on a cerebral level) with the first half, but I loved the seventh and eighth minutes. (17.75/20)

3. "Coalescence" (9:47) I love the time the band takes to patiently establish the baseline fabric of the song--with great sound and balance of top-to-bottom dynamics--but when the CHROMA KEY-like vocals start at the four-minute mark it's quite a let down/disappointment. 'Trons, synths, and thickening guitar play build after first verse. Nice. Again, quite wonderful sound clarity and mix. The second verse offers very little improvement upon the first--except for the retention of the fuller soundscape. The two-part two-guitar interplay in the seventh and eighth minutes is nice but never really reaches the tension levels (and resolution) that one hopes for. Still, it's pretty. Return to vocals for the ninth minute before giving way to a synth solo. Sounds so 1975! Solid song that is actually quite enjoyable to listen to, just not worthy of superlatives. (18/20)

4. "Merged in Dreams - Ne Plus Ultra" (14:43) with this opening I feel as if I'm in STEVEN WILSON Hand. Cannot. Erase. territory. Dreamy synth lazily soloing over the top reminds me of California psych-pop band WEST INDIAN GIRL. Heavy guitar strumming and play burst onto the scene at 1:50, and then at 2:34 a more heavy fast-driving guitar riffing starts- -over which Nicholas DiSalvo enters with a Bent Sæther-like vocal. The guitar-centric section that then ensues is very much like Jared Leach's wonderful 2016 release, Discontinuance, but then we back off into more CHROMA KEY-like sound space and vocals at the end of the sixth minute. It's very pretty, relaxing and engaging (with, again, nice multi- track vocal arrangements). Very anti-climactic middle section seems to "end" with a silence starting at 10:10 filled only with a repeating, distant piano arpeggio until subtle synth layers and, eventually, electric guitar chord arpeggi begin to rejoin and re-populate the sonic field. Drums slowly re-introduce themselves until at 13:10 the full band rejoins to play a repeating five-chord progression to the song's close. Very nice but, once again, seems to be begging for more/different build and resolution. (26.5/30)

5. "The Purpose" (8:37) another long (three minute) and engaging intro. Nicholas' vocal enters and the music, for once, stays similar. Once again I feel a very strong CHROMA KEY throughout this song: chord progressions, pacing, synth- born atmospherics, and, of course, Nicholas' vocal sound. At the four-minute mark begins a dreamy space interlude of delicately played instruments, each playing stoccato notes while forming a beautiful weave. At 5:10 we return to the opening motif and the Kevin Moore-like vocal. Then, at the very end of the sixth minute, the guitars burst forth over the continued rhythm section tapestry, but then soon step back so that the many keyboard sounds and textures can step back into the weave. The final 70 seconds find the band reverting to the gorgeous space music of the middle interlude--to fade. (14/15)

Total Time 53:51

Elder's music has become more complex (and very similar to Motorpsycho ?) and intricate (? and Ghost Medicine) than previous albums but somehow less "complete": each song seems to fall short of perceived heights and dénouement of internal conflicts. Too bad cuz the production is excellent and the sound very welcoming. At the same time, I noticed how much I was enjoying the album with each successive listen--due, I think, to the fact that one becomes familiar with the music so easily.

A-/4.5 stars; a minor masterpiece of heavier progressive rock music--and definitely a step in the right direction for this band.

A delicious combo of post-rock atmosphere and proggy touches on a base of select stoner metal.

Over the last year, I have been exploring the breath of psychedelic hard rock and metal, wanting a sound that is a little more ethereal than the sludge of the doom side of stoner metal and maybe just maybe some musical flourishes of prog. That search led me to Elder and their most recent album Innate Passage which contains 5 songs clocking in at 53:53.

The opener "Catastasis" sets the stage, starting with echo-y guitars very much in a post-rock vein but quickly bringing in a heavy guitar groove and then the synths. Vocals finally enter at 2:45, and are definitely more of a textural layer than a lead element. Both vocals and the overall groove sits somewhere between Mastodon and Pink Floyd. In the Mid-point is a riffy guitar break compete with twin leads reminding us that this music has its roots in the 70's. The entire song lasts about 10 minutes and covers a lot of territory but the mood remains pretty ethereal throughout. Nothing is jarring or harsh. The band definitely knows their audience and delivers.

The rest of the album follows the formula and the vibe but keeps introducing new themes, new elements, new angles. In spite of the length of the songs and the consistent tone, I never come close to getting bored. The multi-layered sections vary from smooth to complex. Lots of rhythmic ideas, many composed lines, guitar leads, different types of keyboard tones, plenty of echo and reverb, you get the picture. If Motorpsycho went completely heavy psych, you would be pretty close to this sound.

The individual components of this music are not new. At the same time, I personally have not heard them combined in quite this way and certainly not this well. I would guess that one's response to this music would mirror your response to the many styles they are drawing from. For me, those are some of my favorite styles so finding this album was so exciting that I considered it a personal birthday present (I was born in November when it came out.)

So for me it's a 5 star. YMMV.

I do like this album, although I don't love it. It is superior to many other prog albums from 2022 I heard, but in my humble opinion, it brings nothing new to the table. And for me personally, that is important. Especially for a prog act. but I would have liked more variation and surprises.

The playing is stellar, the production is awesome and the singing is great too. It is quite logical that many will find this album to be 4 or 5 stars. For me, it is a 3-star album. It is very good. But I also consider it to be non-essential.

Elder is a big enough name in the world of progressive rock and progressive metal that I figured I could probably safely exclude the "For fans of" section from my header. Their sound is a distinctive mix of heavy psych, progressive rock, and stoner metal that is (usually) smart, technical, accessible, and expansive.

I wasn't wild about their last album, 2020's Omens. (Though I did give a positive review to their 2021 collaboration with Kadavar.) It felt aimless and unambitious at points, and I wasn't crazy about the production. I gave it a lukewarm review at the time, and my feelings haven't changed much since. It's fine, but non-essential. Thankfully, Innate Passage is a big step up. Like four of their five previous albums, this release consists of five long songs. Despite the band's predictable album structure, they're still able to do a lot of fun and interesting things.

"Catastasis" opens the album with a gentle synth drone and a lonely, echoing guitar line. This introduction soon gives way to a lurching, cannabinoid riff, though that echoing clean guitar returns for lovely textural contrast. Piano and synthesizer shine through the sludgy backing, and there's a synth solo that is strongly indebted to Rick Wakeman at the end of the intro. The verse is fairly quiet and mellow, but it smoothly flows into a heavier passage. The instrumental section of this song's second half channels post-rock by interweaving clean guitar lines with lush textures.

Another synth drone serves as the introduction to "Endless Return", though that soon gives way to a galloping, groovy guitar line. The band escalates smoothly to a majestic passage of bludgeoning distortion and rich Mellotron. Nick DiSalvo is a consistent vocalist, but his performance is especially strong on this song. "Endless Return" is probably also my least-favorite song on the album, but it's strong enough that I'm able to give it a good amount of unqualified praise. It's not their most original cut, but even boilerplate Elder is pretty good.

An echoing guitar arpeggio and motorik(-ish) drumbeat kick off "Coalescence". The introductory guitar solo is melodic and playful, and the clean lead tone contrasts nicely with the crunchy backing. Mellotron again fills in the spaces in the track nicely, and the band's astral noodling feels like it's building to something, rather than simply filling space. This song's second half is another strong example of the band's ability to organically build from quietude to aggression. I'm quite fond of the flashy synth solo in this song's closing minute; this is the sort of keyboard-integration I was hoping for on Omens.

The nearly-15-minute "Merged in Dreams - Ne Plus Ultra" opens dreamily. Bass and clean guitar echo broadly around a simple drumbeat as a warm, wiggly synth line adds a sense of depth. Of course, big walls of distortion come crashing in eventually, and a palm-muted, thrash-influenced riff gives this song some urgency. As the song enters a quiet phase, organ enters to complement the multilayered vocals and gentle guitars, though that tapestry is again soon eschewed for some heavier riffs. 

Around the 10-minute mark, this song takes an unexpected electronic turn. It gets much quieter and mellow synthesizers form the bedrock. This passage reminds me a lot of DiSalvo's solo project, Delving. In the last minute, though, pounding guitars and drums reemerge, and this passage draws heavily from the worlds of post-rock and post-metal.

Innate Passage ends with its shortest song, the eight-and-a-half-minute "The Purpose". As with each of the four preceding songs, the opening is calm, though that doesn't last long. The pace remains subdued, but unmistakably Elder-ish riffs dominate the soundscape. The verse sounds especially glorious; keyboards go a long way toward adding depth to this piece.

On their new album, Elder does a great job of refining their sound. They don't stray too far from their wheelhouse, but the greater integration of keyboards does a lot to make Innate Passage distinct within their discography. It's not quite on the level of Lore or Reflections of a Floating World, but it's quite a solid release.

Review originally posted here: theeliteextremophile.com/2022/12/12/album-review-elder-innate-passage/

First off, I have to admit that their previous album Omens was one of my biggest musical disappointments of 2020, so I patiently waited for the next step of this Massachusetts band. Elder's sixth album Innate Passage continues their odyssey away from their stoner doom roots, but darkness is still there in the background. Elder has always sounded like themselves, and this album follows suit. In usual Elder fashion, the album is five songs long, all between nine and 14 minutes long. because there are always enough ideas for grandiose pieces. Still, the greatest values in Elder's music are interesting riffs, solos, and playing with the sound. The guitar tone is extremely seductive at moments and the riffs are well written. The bass does a great job and the drumming is on point. The spacey keys are splendid and bring to mind the early 70s Yes. DiSalvo's vocals are cleaner with less echo and it is probably the biggest improvement compared to the previous work. My favorite track Merged in Dreams ? Ne Plus Ultra proves that not everything has to sound the same. With dreamy and spacey synths, the song first takes the path toward krautrock, until a riff breaks the silence and the song suddenly drives in a completely different direction In conclusion, despite the fact that it does not reach the same height as Reflections of a Floating World, Innate Passage is a great return. The guys are truly an accomplished group of musicians and I'm sure they will continue to push the boundaries further.

ELDER is a name associated with Stoner Rock but these guys are so much more than that on this 2022 album. This record has blown me away with just how tasteful it all is. I mean they contrast the heavy and atmospheric throughout but never get too heavy or too light. Attention to detail throughout the 54 minutes. This "sounds" amazing. Those clean guitars with echo contrasted with the riffs and heavy sound could not have been done better. I'm still scratching my head at how incredible this record is.

This band made a lot of fans with "Dead Roots Stirring", "Lore" and "Reflections On A Floating World" a great three album run. Many weren't as impressed with the next two but man they put their all into this one and I don't know how they can top this. Other reviewers even mention YES, this is far from one dimensional Stoner Rock my friends. Even the lyrics are of the highest order. Maybe moving from Boston to Germany has just made them take their profession more seriously or they are just are maturing and are more comfortable with themselves.

Five fairly long tracks here with the closer at over 8 1/2 minutes being the shortest. I didn't mention the keyboards but a couple of the guys add it and there's a guest keyboardist on the closer. The synths are pretty cool here I must say and I like the way they trade off early on that closer "The Purpose" before it kicks in heavily. I love the quieter sections on this one. The keys, bass and picked guitar for example after 4 minutes.

"Coalescence" freaked me out the first time I heard the start because it sounds so much like a song off of ANEKDOTEN's "Gravity" album. Love it! It does turn heavier before vocals arrive 4 minutes in on this almost 10 minute piece. So much intensity here. This might be my favourite track. "Endless Return" is a ten minute song with a spacey start but not for long as it turns heavy. Check out the change around 6 minutes to a bass led section as drums join in. So cool. Guitar lights it up later. "Catastasis" is the almost 11 minute opener and gets the record off on the right foot. The synths were a surprise I must admit on that first spin after 2 minutes. Between 5 and 8 minutes we get some incredible instrumental music to say the least.

"Merged In Dreams-Ne Plus Ultra" is the longest tune at just under 15 minutes opening in a Post-Rock manner with that guitar and sound as synths swirl around. So uplifting and trippy. It kicks in before 2 minutes with some ripping guitar as I go and get my hat that just blew off. They get into an uptempo groove with riffs as the vocals arrive. The last 5 minutes or so are interesting as it calms right down then builds until they are cooking!

Gotta go 5 stars here. No weak tracks, it's very consistent and adventerous within their style. This is the one!