Friday, October 16, 2015

REVIEW : ELDRITCH / Underlying Issues (2015)

10th official album for the veteran heavy progressive act of ELDRITCH with the title "Underlying Issues" and in my humble opinion one of the band's best record to date. The last release that I've heard from Eldritch was the solid "Gaia's Legacy" in 2011. That was an album that combined powerful melodies along with soaring vocals, progressive touches and great guitar riffs and solos.

This time the band takes things a step forward and to be more specific "Underlying Issues" is more technical and it includes a more 'modern' heavy sound with the necessary melodies that makes the final result extremely attractive.

The album has once again been recorded in two different studios, Bigwave Recording studios in Livorno, Italy for the drums, engineered by Niko Santaniello, and Eldritch’s very own bunker studios in Livorno, Italy, with the bands guitarist Eugene Simone also producing. Mixing and mastering will be held by Simone Mularoni (DGM) at his Domination studios in San Marino, Italy.

The new opus kicks-off with the heavy, powerful and melodic tune of "Changing Blood". The riffs, vocals, melodies and everything here are in perfect balance and, when it comes to chorus, it explodes into a big heavy anthem that makes you wanna hear it again and again!! "Danger Zone" features a great groove in it, solid arrangements and again a huge chorus line! Superb stuff! "All And More" is another killer tune out of the new album; darker but melodic as it gets that reminded me of The Rasmus in a heavier version!!!! The sad and darker "To The Moon And Back" will impress you with the alternation of emotions while in  "Bringers Of Hate" we are dealing with a modern metal hymn that should be played in maximum volume!!!!!

Excellent album by Eldritch!!!! These guys deliver a monster of an album and comes to be added next to this year's brilliant releases as another highlight! Eldritch achieve to mix perfectly the classic progressive metal with modern hard 'n' heavy with big melodies, soaring vocals and tight arrangements and at the end to present this gem of an album!

Rating : 9/10

Track Listing :
1. Changing Blood
2. Danger Zone
3. Broken
4. All And More
5. The Face I Wear
6. To The Moon And Back
7. Bringers Of Hate
8. The Light
9. Piece Of Clarity
10. Before I Die
11. Slowmotion K Us






No comments:

Post a Comment