LORE

This is probably the best album by the band, at least in my opinion as there are many contenders to come. Each track is an epic with four being over ten minutes long, one even reaching sixteen. Keyboards make a come back bringing more diversity in the instrumentation.

"COMPENDIUM" is the first track and it really sets a high bar. After the vocals, the song really starts to get good with its instrumentation. My favorite part is when all the instruments quiet down and its just the guitar making beautiful rhythms. "LEGEND" starts with a laid back, atmospheric guitar solo; I'm imagining rain streaming down a window glowing through a dark room. The structure here is similar to that of Dead Roots Stirring, and like that song, keeps introducing new passages throughout the track. The ending mirrors the beginning but this time more epic. "LORE" (the song) is absolutely amazing. The first half of this song heavily builds up to the second half, which is just one stunning melodic passage after another. This song needs to be listened to multiple times as after the initial impression, the second part provides a new context to the first making the song even better with future plays. "DEADWEIGHT" is the song that people probably forget, but don't be fooled, this track is no filler. The guitar solo is the standout moment here and is quite powerful. "SPIRIT AT APHELION" ends the album on a high note, the beginning is awesome with the acoustic guitar and keyboards, very lovely. The song gets very energetic, the chorus especially gets me going.

I love this album, it's a masterpiece in my eyes without any flaws. I can't see how any fan of metal or heavy prog wouldn't be able to enjoy it. While I like the vocals, that might be the only thing that would put people off. Another thing is that this might be the best place to start if one hasn't listened to Elder before.