The Elijah - I Loved I Hated I Destroyed I Created
Rating
RIYL
Devil Sold His SoulThis Will Destroy You
Rinoa
Mono
Release Date
07/02/2012
Label
Small Town RecordsTracklist
1. In Misery2. I Loved
3. In Fear
4. I Hated
5. In Regret
6. .
7. I Destroyed
8. ..
9. In Death
10. I Created
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These Englishmen are heretics. Religion aside, The Elijah does that one thing that is sacrilege in the post-rock genre: vocals, lots of them, in fact. Vocals are perfectly allowable in post-metal, but aside from massive crescendos, there is little to nothing that reaches the heavy quotient required to meet the definition of post-metal here. Instead, The Elijah has crafted orchestral, dynamic, and beautiful post-rock that just happens to utilize its members’ vocal chords.
I spent some time talking about the vocals because they are equally amazing and unimpressive, yet they play a significant role in what the band wants to accomplish with their music. Mike McGough provides the ethereal, soulful melodies that propel these songs into the stratosphere. His voice sounds like how an English Jonny Craig might sound if he were not a drug-addicted dirtbag. Every point in the album when Mike provides his croon is a highlight, as his is a voice that is unexpectedly perfect for post-rock. The issue is Dan Tomley who provides vein-bursting angst with his harsh vocals. They would fit in much better within a 90s screamo band than a pretty post-rock sound. At times it is well suited with the music, especially during the louder sections; however, during the quieter moments and when trying to build momentum, his scream is so “unpretty” that it ends up detracting somewhat from the enjoyment of the album. Further listens minimize the frustration with the vocals, as it is evident that it can and mostly does work within The Elijah’s sonic framework. Just be forewarned that it is quite jarring upon initial listens.
Lyrically this is quite the dreary affair; it would serve quite well for a rainy, foggy Saturday afternoon. The bleakness does seem at odds with the splendor of the music, yet both the lyrics and music are quite emotive, so their pensive nature is married quite well. Moments of reflection like this: “Heaven’s not a place you go when you die; it’s a place you live when you’re in love and alive,” (From “I Created”) are contrasted with outright anguish later on: “If God was real, then I would hate Him with a passion so strong it bleeds like His death-ridden hands.” (From “I Created”)
So what are listeners left with? The Elijah has created a sound that is familiar and unique at the same time. The band’s take on post-rock is as refreshing as it is depressing. The fact that this is merely the group’s debut is a positive sign of things to come. If they can improve the vocal balance on album number two, The Elijah could one day be as big as their crescendos.
--Nick Senior
Comments
London, UK
This sounds very interesting, how did I not know about this band!? I'm a huge fan of Devil Sold His Soul and I'm English. I've been slacking, clearly
Currently listening to:
Of Glaciers - Heart Museum
Cyril Snear - Riot Of Colour
Boy Sets Fire - While A Nation Sleeps
Sleepers Awake – Transcension
Bruce Soord with Jonas Renkse - Wisdom Of Crowds
Best Of 2012 - Best Of 2013
Columbus, OH
Clearly Max, you are slacking haha. If you can handle DSHS's harsh vocals, you'll probably dig this. It's definitely well done.
Currently Listening To:
Lo!- Monstrorum Historia
HeavyArms- Burning Crowds
Shining- One One One
El Paso, TX
Completely agree with the screamed vocals part, they're passable during some of the heaviest moments but they're pretty much unbearable the rest of the time. That even seems to be the consensus on most pages where their music is available...Shame, this is pretty damn good otherwise.
Columbus, OH
Yeah, I've heard the band is absolutely killer live, so maybe his vocals translate better in that setting. Also, I just moved up to a bigger monitor and finally noticed your avatar is a Dali painting. Good choice, el badman haha.
Currently Listening To:
Lo!- Monstrorum Historia
HeavyArms- Burning Crowds
Shining- One One One
El Paso, TX
I've been obsessed with this painting for years since it's the one dredg used as source of inspiration for el cielo, my favorite record of all time...
Exactly why I have the poster for this painting in my room!
Columbus, OH
Dali is probably my favorite 20th Century artist. I gained so much respect for dredg with El Cielo, and of course they haven't done much since...
Currently Listening To:
Lo!- Monstrorum Historia
HeavyArms- Burning Crowds
Shining- One One One
Minnesota
Holy shit. Just listening to this today... this album is extremely awesome. It's like a post-rock/post-hardcore amalgamation that sprinkles in healthy doses of Johnny Craig-esque vocals. I love this!
Find me EVERYWHERE:
Columbus, OH
Glad to hear you enjoyed it, Rick! It really is a great album, and I think a ton of people could get into this. This may have crept up to a 4 for me, as it was probably a 3.75/5 when I wrote the review. For me, this is basically how I imagine Devil Sold His Soul would sound if they really embraced the post-rock sound more.
Currently Listening To:
Lo!- Monstrorum Historia
HeavyArms- Burning Crowds
Shining- One One One