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Review: Elder, The Fleece
LA’s Ancestors elect to play in almost total darkness, with just one light unhelpfully ranged diagonally across the audience. But for the occasional silhouette in the gloom, it’s virtually impossible to tell how many musicians are up there and who’s playing what. Since they neither acknowledge the audience nor take any breaks between songs, they perform what seems like one continuous 40 minute piece of mostly instrumental music. It’s moody, atmospheric, hypnotic and, in common with tonight’s headliners, puts an unapologetic prog spin on doom, adding welcome keyboard textures to the mix. Despite some very slow passages, this isn’t as sluggish as landfill doom, thanks largely to the efforts of their excellent drummer who plays his kit like a lead instrument and – I’d hazard a guess – has paid very close attention to Nick Mason’s Pink Floyd drum patterns.
Any band that plays a selection of classic prog (Yes! Gentle Giant!) over the PA while setting up already has this reviewer onside. Massachusetts road warriors Elder were last at the Fleece a little over a year ago and not much has changed in their world. They don’t have the cosmic projections this time and there are more punters in attendance, which is testimony to their steady upward career trajectory. But as before, they’ve fleshed out the live sound with an additional guitarist/keyboard player and lean heavily on their fourth album, 2017’s magnificent Reflections of a Floating World, which saw them break free of stoner/doom genre shackles and ascend majestically into the progosphere.
If anything, this was an even more confident performance than last time, boasting seemingly effortless musicianship despite approaching Mastodon/Rush levels of complexity. The familiar loping guitar figure that kicks off 11-minute album opener Sanctuary is greeted with a huge cheer from the packed crowd as we embark upon a journey through its complex and riff-laden yet ceaselessly catchy epic musical landscape. Much of the rest of Reflections… is given an airing too, though it’s a tad disappointing that Elder still don’t attempt the kosmische instrumental Sonntag in a live setting, if only for the joy of watching a doom audience jig about to its motorik rhythms. Pleasurable though it was to hear all this great music again, however, it’s time they knuckled down to the follow-up album that will surely propel them onwards and upwards.
is needed now More than ever
Read more: Metal & Prog Picks: October 2018
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