Album Review: Elder, Innate Passage
There are very few creative constraints on Elder at this point. Sixteen years after their founding, now with their sixth full-length, Innate Passage — on Armageddon Shop in the US, Stickman Records in Europe — the band prove once again that they are beholden to nothing so much as their own forward drive. In 2020, the mostly-Berlin-based four-piece released Omens (review here), which continued what’s been a genre-shaping turn toward heavy progressive rock from the band’s more riff-mountainous beginnings, and after the sidestep that was 2021’s full-length collaboration with Kadavar (review here), the five songs and 53 minutes of Innate Passage feel utterly free and realized.
It is a step forward from Omens as one would hope, and the heaviest-sounding record since 2015’s third album Lore (review here), seemed to set them on this sonic path — 2017’s Reflections of a Floating World (review here) likewise expanded on what that record put forth, but moved away somewhat from sheer heft — seeming to revel in its harder-landing moments of distortion as much in the shimmering, noodly guitar explorations of guitarist/vocalist/keyboardist Nick DiSalvo as recorded by Linda Dag at Clouds Hill Studio, who is as suitable a fit as producer for their sound as I’ve heard. Drummer Georg Edert, who made his first appearance on Omens, feels more integrated into the band, which can be heard as he propels the solo-topped sweep in the apex of second cut “Endless Return” after already handling the stark turns in the mathier midsection of opener “Catastasis.”
Guitarist/keyboardist Mike Risberg and bassist Jack Donovan have a hand in pushing both of those parts (and many others) over the top as well, and particularly in relation to their past work, Innate Passage feels mature but not at all staid. Whether it’s the jazzy Opethian pastoralia in “Catastasis,” complete with mellotron, or the massive chugging crescendo that caps 14-minute penultimate track “Merged in Dreams/Ne Plus Ultra,” Elder are poised, confident, still reaching forward toward new growth.
There are definable aspects of their style that are readily present, be it DiSalvo‘s linear writing style, their experimentation with different keyboard/synth sounds — Fabio Cuomo (Eremite) guests on keys for wide-open-feeling closer “The Purpose” — or Adrian Dexter‘s cover art, and experienced listeners should delight at the aural weight that propels them.
As songwriters, Elder have always been a band who seek. Innate Passage expresses this with unremitting beauty and dynamic craft. To call it one of 2022’s best albums is underselling it.
It is part of the larger story of Elder‘s evolution as writ out across their various LPs and EPs, side-projects like DiSalvo‘s Delving solo outfit, and general oeuvre, and in that, it represents not just the newest but the most accomplished work they’ve done yet. To compare to recent output, it has a broader reach than Lore, than Reflections or Omens, but it could not exist without those records having been made. Its songs are righteous passages one into the next, arranged and mixed with care and purpose alike, so that the vocals in the midsection of centerpiece “Coalescence” are as much a part of an adrenaline spike as the heavier endings of the two songs prior (“Catastasis” and “Endless Return”) or the for-the-whole-album crescendo that follows in “Merged in Dreams/Ne Plus Ultra,” which would seem to take at least the second part of its title from the central riff of its instrumentalist back end.
There’s no other way to say it: these are hands down the best vocal performances DiSalvo has ever had on an Elder release. Guest harmonies from Behrang Alavi of Samavayo (who had DiSalvo sit in on their most recent album as well; it’s nice to have friends) on “Catastasis” bolster the coming-back from the aforementioned break, sweetly meandering guitar leading into a gorgeous wash of melody at 7:58 into the opener’s 10:52. And Alavi sits in on “Endless Return” as well, further reinforcing DiSalvo‘s own progression as a singer, which like that of the band’s songwriting can be charted across their releases going back to 2008’s self-titled debut (discussed here) and its their-first-landmark follow-up 2011’s Dead Roots Stirring (review here).
That Elder would come across as particularly lush throughout Innate Passage isn’t necessarily a surprise given where they’ve been sound-wise, but it is a thrill, and it seems the more toys (keyboards, effects, etc.) they get, the more fun they have with them. So be it. That impulse speaks again to the notion of seeking, and the lyrics seem to be asking questions as well as trying to parse out various existential quandaries even as the instrumental passages explore new places and new methods, the patience with which the beginning of “Merged in Dreams/Ne Plus Ultra” launches on bass and drums before the guitars first enter emblematic of the band’s ability to finely tune their own atmospherics, making that song and the entirety of Innate Passage all the more encompassing.
If Omens was indeed a sign of things to come, then let the title of this album speak to the sense of movement inherent in Elder‘s music. In its later moments, Innate Passage underscores its place as the to-date culmination of their progression, whether that comes through in the layered vocals in the midsection of “Merged in Dreams/Ne Plus Ultra” or the manner in which they build from silence to that song’s rousing finish, tension in the guitar and synth heralding the wash that’s soon enough to emerge, or the direct bleed into “The Purpose,” which brings vitality — and low end — to airy post-rock psychedelics in its verse and shifting with particular smoothness from one measure to the next until, after giving the groove they mount its due proliferation, the closer departs after the seven-minute mark to an epilogue of thoughtful standalone guitar that’s an echo of what first enters over the bed of keys in “Catastasis” without actually being a reprise; a finish that is classy but not overstated, reinforcing both the cyclical nature of, well, everything, and basking in a last opportunity to reach for previously uncovered ground. Once again, they seek.
That Elder are at the forefront of their generation of heavy acts isn’t up for debate, and their now-years-old maturity continues to flourish as their influence expands. Innate Passage pushes them further between the microgenres of prog and expansive heavy, clear-headed psychedelia-infused rock and roll, reinforcing their place as spearheads while positioning them all the more as distinct unto themselves. The material is epic while seeming to look inward, and like few bands can, Elder create stunning spaces and worlds for their listeners to inhabit. I’ll readily admit to being a fan of the band, and I’m not sure I’ve ever been so glad to be one. Whatever they may do next, this is a triumph and should be appreciated as such.
(Photo by Maren Michaelis)
Cannot wait for the full album. Excellent write up as usual, thanks.
I’ve said for a while now that Elder is the band that I wanted Baroness to be. They both started in the same place, but Baroness went off in an unappealing direction. While Elder has evolved that sound in a way that has not lost its fundamental spark.
I wouldn’t have thought of comparing these two bands. But then again I love them both and appreciate their respective evolutons. Now Baroness should rethink their production preferences, while when it comes to Elder I think Nick’s vocals on Omens were his weakest performence (I enjoyed Omens neverthelese). So I’m curious to hear him on the new record given JJ praises his vocals here. Can’t wait for the album. Thanks for the review, JJ!
Saw them last month at Junkyard/Dortmund.
WOW! This is the best Live-Band I’ve ever seen. Full stop!
I just finished listening to the album (LP arrived early) and am getting a bit emotional reading this because it’s not only spot on, but gives words to the various feelings and thoughts I have about the band and that I often can’t express with such (or, let’s face it, any) eloquence.
More than once I’ve argued that listening to Elder’s body of work (gold and silver, delving and eldovar included) in chronological order is utterly rewarding because every album feels like a natural and necessary step to land at their current sound (and they do this while not repeating themselves, every album has a distinct character).
The thought of what’s to come is utterly exciting, but for now I am more than happy to revel in the fantasy world that my brain conjures up while listening to Innate Passage .
This album is highbrow and nonsensical. It’s as bad as Omens. There’s nothing there except dudes trying to be highbrow with their kraut keyboards and the worst singing ever. Where are the riffs? Can you please let the fucking guitar alone for 30 seconds (without the “toys”)? Roots/lore/reflections were powerful albums. These latest offerings are from another band. No amount of hype from this site can change my mind. I am not sure I am alone in finding that they reallly fucked up since Omens. Elder is the underground George Lucas.
All opinions welcome. Thanks for reading.