Eldritch
Underlying Issues

Italian Eldritch are back again, usually their albums mean that all who like progressive power metal with drive and energy will have a moment of enjoyment. Last year’s album was no exception to this according to us at Hallowed and now we see the band’s tenth album called Underlying Issues which of course is met with some anticipation. This album also has a nice nod back to the time when I got to know the band back in 2003. The cover art is very cool, progressive and interesting but I do not think that it is as good looking as the cover of the previous album.

Progressiveness, energy and imagination has always been colouring the music of Eldritch and this album is no exception, it is distinctly Eldritch with heavy melodic pieces, catchy choruses, Terrence Holler’s brilliant vocals. There is lots of variation over eleven tracks and the production is of course excellent, and to that you can add songs with great depth and plenty of interesting details to be discovered at repeat listening. And it is easy to take to as it is both uncomplicated and complicated at the same time. And the track Slowmotion K Us that gives a sense of nostalgia and still being a song that works just as well now as it did a dozen of years ago when we first heard it on Portrait From the Abyss Within. And that songs fits strangely well into this album, and that is not because the band has remained the same since then because they haven’t, but a strength of theirs is that you can interchange songs between the albums and any song from any album would fit on any of their albums and even so their albums are still distinctly different yet familiar. That is a really strong thing to achieve.

What can I say about the album more than that it is brilliant? Eldritch just keeps delivering high quality music and this album is at least in level with the predecessor, I think it better. Holler’s vocal performance is a kick in the face and the music is direct yet complex with a lot of depth and progressiveness. I think Eldritch probably is the best band out of Italy and they continuously put out excellent album that are fresh yet distinctly Eldritch-sounding – I think that is incredibly impressive. It may not be their best effort but it is definitely an album well worth enjoying and become impressed by, so many great songs and you just don’t want to stop listening to it. I think impressive is the right word and I have to be impressed by Scarlet records who manages to put out to such brilliant albums on the same day, I reviewed another six-pointer from them yesterday so that label has some quality, that’s for sure.

I don’t think you should miss this, it is clearly one of the highlights of the year and Eldritch deserves every superlative I have written about them – just listen and you’ll understand what I am on about. So many hit songs that all deserves to be mentioned by name but Slowmotion K Us is great but probably a lot for nostalgic reason even though it is a great song. Then I just have to mention Bringers of Hate and Before I Die that are extra memorable tracks to be picked up in an album of eleven memorable tracks. To be honest I wouldn’t have needed to write anything more than: Eldritch delivers, as usual, this album is as always when it comes to these guys; an amazing creation well worth checking out – it is one of their best. Don’t miss this album!

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