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Elder - Reflect

Rating

RIYL

Taken
Comadre
Envy
Thursday

Release Date

11/20/2009

Label

Forge Again Records

Tracklist

1.Empty Lots
2.Niños
3.Evasion
4.Friendly Fire
5.Vultures
6.Remember These Days

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Recent Ratings
resist sundials	Rick Gebhardt
Bill Lohr	jamoncito

There was a period of time where the term screamo did not mean neon shirts and crazed hair. Frankly, today’s screamo has become a sad shell of its former self. I doubt many would know who bands like City of Caterpillars and Envy even are. I was recommended the band Elder by a friend who said if I wanted to hear a band harkening back to the days of classic screamo, this is that band.

The album opens with “Empty Lots,” a song equipped with quick turns and frantic vocals. I can see that Elder certainly wears their influences on their sleeves. Elder creates pieces of work that play off the notion of the soft-hard/quiet-loud dynamics. Think of early Thursday CDs where elegant melody collides with thrashing guitars. The huge pounding drums and desperate singers are there and done quite well. My favorite track is “Vultures.” Right from the moment this song begins, the band kicks into full gear. Though the track is short and features less of their post-metal leanings, the musicianship is spot on. The band closes the CD with the track “Remember These Days,” a mix of post-metal and melodic hardcore.

At points this album is reminiscent of the band Taken, Ray Harkin of Mikoto’s earlier band. The atmospheric sound fits in perfectly within the song structures. Lyrically it is what you have come to expect, questions of life and ones purpose, pretty standard fare, yet the lead singers ability to convey emotion and desperation is immaculate.

Elder easily have one of the most surprising releases of the year. The dual vocal assault from Armando Morales and Craig Woods gives Elder that extra edge over many of the so-called screamo bands out there. Elder takes the mix of atmosphere and post-metal riffs and creates their own brand of spacious yet intense music. This release is more than worth the money, so go support a band that is actually doing something with their instruments.

--Corey Mack