Heavy psych rock masters ELDER have released ‘Embers’, the first taste of their highly anticipated new LP Omens (released 24th April, Stickman Records), their first full-length since the globally-acclaimed Reflections of a Floating World.
Pre-orders for Omens are now available here: http://stickman-records.com/shop/elder-omens
The band have also revealed the album artwork for Omens, created by longtime collaborator Adrian Dexter.
In their own words: “‘Embers’ is doubtless one of the most energetic and upbeat songs ELDER has ever made, and really became the favorite to play while rehearsing to record Omens. It’s maybe the least traditionally heavy track from the record, but it’s certainly dense. Lots of interlocking guitar and bass lines, keyboards, synthesizer solos (thanks to our friend Fabio Cuomo!) – you can hear that we had plenty of fun making this album. Like any ELDER song, it’s best heard in context, and we’re excited to release the full record soon!”
Omens is perhaps the band’s most ambitious album yet – delving into deeper, more expansive, genre-pushing territories with five tracks of progressive, heavy, psychedelically evocative glory. Elements of OM, Pink Floyd, even Mastodon and Hawkwind combine to create a truly special record.
Formed in a small coastal town in Massachusetts in the mid noughties, ELDER have reinvented their sound over the course of five albums to grow from a stalwart of the stoner/doom scene into one of the most unique voices in the rock underground. Their long-scale compositions unfold as journeys, running the gamut of styles from the 70s to the present within a single song, with a penchant for “sheer gatefold-era grandeur” as described by Rolling Stone. After thirteen years, this is the first full-length recorded with a new lineup including guitarist Michael Risberg and new drummer Georg Edert, along with guest performances by Fabio Cuomo on Rhodes piano and synthesizers.
ELDER’s new album Omens answers any speculation about their new direction with an emphatic statement: evolution or extinction. Lush, intricately interwoven melodies grow and dissolve into spaced-out jams; massive riffs thunder down into a churning sea of psychedelic sounds and unpredictable grooves carry away the listener. ELDER paint pictures with their music, and Omens shows the band experimenting with an even more colourful palette – with good reason.
By continuing to incorporate new elements to their sound, ELDER’s output has repeatedly set benchmarks for their peers. Beginning with 2008’s Elder and 2010’s Dead Roots Stirring, ELDER made ripples in the stoner rock scene with their uniquely melodic approach to the genre. In 2015 they surprised again with Lore, a watershed moment in the band’s career (recently crowned “Album of the Decade” by TheObelisk) which brought in elements of post-, prog- and space rock into the ELDER sound. Despite several years of heavy touring surrounding the album, Reflections of a FloatingWorld was released just two years later, earning a spot at the top of many best-of lists including Rolling Stone (#5, 20Best Metal Albums Of 2017), Stereogum, acclaim from Metal Hammer, and more.
ELDER will be touring USA in May and throughout Europe in June and July.