Seven songs isn’t much of a headliner performance, is it? Consider Elder’s latest album, Through Zero, has six songs and runs 53 minutes. So, in the southern vernacular, yes, it is gracious plenty.
Take “prog,” “stoner,” “and “space,” then tag it with “rock” or “metal,” and you understand why a band like Elder is not in a position to run through a “best of” collection from their catalog. Each song takes ten minutes or longer, with sections that shift in pace and heaviness, moving through at least two of those styles along the way.
Elder is an explorative heavy rock group from Massachusetts that is evolving its sound further into prog territory, while remaining mindful that big riffs and the low end helped get the band to where it is. Their new album sums the band’s experience in many ways, with ample ambient sounds, grooving synths and guitar solos exploring peaks and valleys in lengthy compositions .
“Sigil to Ruin” started the set with thundering, propulsive bass in the vein of Steven Wilson and Porcupine Tree. The song’s theme is that human beings can simultaneously act as both the architect and the victim of their own downfall. The lyrics here, and on the other songs, get lost in a live setting, even with Nick DiSalvo’s voice largely rounding out the sonic palette during the more atmospheric sections. The new album, available on vinyl and CD at the merch table, includes the lyrics. It’s good that they are included as the album itself takes time to process, especially exploring how the music informs the lyrical themes. Still, making those words come through in a live setting remains a challenge.
“Capture/Release” might be the best song on the album, although there’s plenty of room for personal favorites, and the band featured it mid set, starting with atmospheric synth and guitar interplay that builds until heavy guitar riffs, a fuzzy low end and grooving synths take the song into a spacier territory.
That was it from the new album, but the band brought older favorites with them, and each shared the superb musicianship that fans have come to expect. DiSalvo and Michael Risberg both play great guitar leads, while Jack Donovan on bass earns his center stage placement for his energetic style. When he’s moving, the band is rocking. When he’s moving… less, he’s just waiting to explode again.
The band had abstract visuals on the screen behind them, perhaps a nod to their stoner days. But they really weren’t needed. The music is great, and the complexity of the songs occupies enough attention that the video deserved little attention. My takeaway is that it’s often the keyboards that hold the songs together, And here’s a thing. You may eventually realize it’s the keyboards that hold it all together, both for texture and melody.
This is why you go to a show: to take the listening experience and watch it explode before you on stage. Elder has a loaded slate of shows through September and early October.
Make your move!
Setlist:
Asheville’s Bask opened the evening with a sound that was heavy without being abrasive, blending psychedelic rock, Americana and Southern influences into something distinctly their own. Pedal steel will do that in this particular genre, itself often subtle, but finding its place well in songs like “Dig My Heels” and “The Turning.” Songs including “Chasm,” “Dying Sun,” “Three Feet,” and “Lonesome” moved between heavier passages and more melodic moments, with “Orchard,” “Mush” and “Traveler” filling out the set, the last featuring a great guitar riff.
The bassist again became a center of attention, providing a strong foundation as the guitars moved between riffs and more atmospheric passages. Bask was really good, and there is plenty to appreciate in the way the band blends these different influences. Their music is less about the extended instrumental exploration and shifts in scale that made Elder’s set so compelling, but the lap steel has a certain regional appeal, at least, and made for a good introduction to a band with a sound very much its own.
