Boston’s Elder have
been around for more than a decade now, but I’d never got truly sucked in to
their work before. Omens – album 5 – is a game-changer,
though, which sees Elder establishing themselves as
progressive stoner rock royalty, alongside the likes of Baroness (undoubtedly
the most royal in that particular court) or British
counterparts Sail (aside: who’s planned 2020 record
unfortunately seems to have been lost to Covid chaos). Despite moving into some
heavy areas at times, Omens – unlike a lot of Elder’s
earlier stuff – definitely shares more DNA with traditional prog rock than it
does with Tool or similar experi-metal types. For the most
part, Elder are more concerned with texture, layering
arrangements and dictating mood than they are with rhythm or riff. Omens is
one of those ‘rewards repeated listens’ records, full of long (i.e., very long)
songs that move through various phases, taking winding and complex paths. There’s
real beauty in Omens, and at times it leans towards a classical music
sensibility, like the prog bands of yore. But, well, still stoner rock...
Headphones and darkness (or, as the Stereogum review prescribed, a set of
clouds to watch float by) will best maximise the experience.