Album Review: Elder - Through Zero
Reviewed by Matthew Williams
There are certain guarantees in life and one of those certainties is that whenever you hear new music from Elder, you’d better be prepared to open your mind and get ready for an expansive trip. It’s one thing that the quartet do better than most bands, and as soon as you listen to opening track “Sigil To Ruin” you are instantly reminded of their ability to create shifting soundscapes and complex compositions.
It’s a bright sunny day in Cheshire as I listen to their new album “Through Zero” for the umpteenth time, but its not quite the right environment, especially when you listen to the shimmering excellence of “Capture Release”. You need to be sat outside as twilight approaches, and immerse yourself fully in their stunning music, as it is truly captivating and illuminating, with so much happening across the almost nine-minute journey.
I first saw Elder in Manchester back in November 2023, when I reviewed their live experience and they gave the impression that they were having one big jam session that we were invited to watch. And it’s this feeling that they’ve carried over into the six new songs, as the album title track, which describes the property of a frequency being able to pass through zero point and continue into the negative, further demonstrates their progressive patterns, hypnotic grooves whilst highlighting their expertise in the world of cinematic psychedelic rock.
As guitarist Nick DiSalvo says, “the songs on the album explore related themes that reflect my own observations and personal philosophy” but the band are continually pushing their creative boundaries further than ever. This is one group that refuses to stagnate and you get a different approach on “Strata” as the soft, almost comforting tones feel like a warm embrace. There’s an explosion that drives the song, as the keyboard sounds from Mike Risberg drift in and out of the rhythm, as the guitars from him and DiSalvo create magical melodies in that most ethereal of ways.
I’m never bored when listening to their music, as they make ten/eleven-minute songs that somehow feel as if they are over far too quickly. “Sight Unseen” offers a different approach, as they slowly build up the atmosphere with progressive guitars and more psychedelic musings. It’s a moving melody that combines well with the layered keyboard sound as Georg Edert then brings the drums alive with a crushing cymbal sound. They get more aggressive on the final two minutes, as the music comes alive with more blistering guitars before it drifts off elegantly into a different stratosphere.
Final track “Blighted Age” is by the far the shortest, at just under six minutes and begins with a gentle vocal from DiSalvo over a textured rhythm, before it slows down further allowing the guitar to dominate the space. It’s as if they are gently guiding the listener towards the end as the music plateaus towards the finish and ends a stunning return to form by the band.
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