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.