Elder recently released their impressive seventh album Through Zero, a darkly atmospheric album filled with layers of sound. Elder originated in Massachusetts in around 2005/6, and have released a series of albums moving from heavy stoner rock into releases characterised with more subtle melodic passages amidst the more powerful sections. Their musical journey continued in 2025 when they based themselves in Berlin and recorded Through Zero over a few months between tours. This is a complex album, combining precision and power with more subtlety, showing a more human and intuitive side.
Opening with Sigil to Ruin Elder immediately sets the scene evocatively as an eerie synth drone is overlaid by a furious bass and drum sequence and descending melody. A tripping bass and plucked melody suddenly pulls us back from the abyss and dreamy vocals and chiming guitar motifs take us down less ominous paths. The rhythm section really drives this piece along, deftly switching between heavier and softer parts, carried by Jack Donovan’s fluid bass. The middle section rolls along inexorably – stimulating but never overwhelming, and then with a weird synth modulation the guitars twist and intertwine thrillingly. The mayhem reduces to a soft pulsing synth section which builds and builds until we reprise the earlier main theme which takes us to a breathless end. What a magnificent way to open the album.
After the cascading torrent of the opener Capture/Release is a more translucent gem, shimmering synths buried in the landslide of a thunderous riff. Having reached escape velocity Capture/Release transitions into high orbit, but the rocket booster riffs are repeatedly ignited to help the song continue to defy gravity. There is no gentle glide towards the end as Capture / Release collides with a sudden and emphatic conclusion. The remarkable title track Through Zero builds in intensity, but also takes the foot off the accelerator at times to allow softly syncopating drums to carry Nicholas Di Salvo’s assured soft vocals. Yet another outstanding track, Through Zero characterizes the whole album with its hypnotizing combination of groove-laden power and subtle, beguiling melodies.
Strata floats in on softly strumming guitars and echoing synths in altogether dreamier realms. However, the next level of Strata reveals a tour de force performance of titanic drumming by Georg Edert, intertwining with Michael Risberg and Di Salvo’s labyrinthine guitars. This riff laden landscape erupts for the last third as Edert’s drumming and the guitars bubble and sizzle volcanically… but this is no bludgeoning assault as Elder still keep such control and thread melody and harmony through the power – it’s quite mesmerizing. The musical lava cools towards the end to segue so softly into Sight Unseen. The softly undulate synth intro is joined by echoing guitars and we are virtually floating in Space as Elder show they can also master restraint and subtlety. The amorphous sounds start to coalesce into more solid musical shapes, but the synths and guitars still shimmer like starlight. A hypnotic synth wave develops in power, joined by some intense riffing which rolls along, until a final absolutely enormous tsunami of a riff carries all before it until we are left awash in the swirling musical debris which fades away. Through Zero has certainly taken us on quite a dramatic journey but the final bliss of the more pastoral and dream-like Blighted Age soothes us with acoustic guitars, soft vocals and spacey rhythms.
Elder have produced an outstanding album with Through Zero, successfully melding together slabs of crunching power with earworm melodies, satisfyingly fusing together heavy musical themes with attractive softer elements. Darkness and Light seldom sounds quite so intoxicating and Through Zero shimmers with majestic power.
TRACK LISTING
01. Sigil to Ruin (10:34)
02. Capture / Release (8:48)
03. Through Zero (9:06)
04. Strata (10:48)
05. Sight Unseen (8:53)
06. Blighted Age (5:49)
Total Time – 53:54
MUSICIANS
Nicholas Di Salvo – Guitars, Vocals, Synthesizer
Jack Donovan – Bass Guitar
Michael Risberg – Guitar, Rhodes Piano, Slide Guitar
Georg Edert – Drums, Percussion
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Stickman Records
Country of Origin: US
Date of Release: 29th May 2026
DISCOGRAPHY
– Elder Demo (EP) (2007)
– Elder (2008)
– Dead Roots Stirring (2011)
– Demos and Live (EP) (2012)
– Spires Burn / Release (EP) (2012)
– Elder: Live at the Roadburn (2013)
– Lore (2015)
– Reflections of a Floating World (2017)
– The Gold and Silver Session (EP) (2019)
– Omens (2020)
– In Procession / Halcyon (EP) (2021)
– Innate Passage (2022)
– Live at BBC Maida Vale Studios (2024)
– Liminality / Dream State Return (EP) (2025)
– Through Zero (2026)
LINKS
Elder – Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | YouTube | Instagram
