Scott's Song by Song # 76: Elder - Through Zero

Welcome to issue #76 of Scott’s Song by Song (#scottssongbysong). For more information about this series, click here: 

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Elder is a band founded in Boston in 2005, but has been based in Berlin, Germany for several years now.  Their seventh full-length solo album, “Through Zero”, is set to be released on May 29, 2026.  I want to thank Jadd from Blues Funeral records (the band’s US label) and Austin Griswold of Secret Service PR agency for providing me with a review copy.  As always, I receive no further compensation, and this is a cold listen.  I always call it like I hear it.

Elder are known for their Heavy Psych Prog style. I have all of their albums since the 3rd album “Lore” from 2015 in my library and a smattering of tracks from their earlier work and have enjoyed a number of their songs.  When I saw the buzz surrounding this release, however, I knew I had to reach out for a review copy.  The album’s six tracks range from 5:49-10:48.

The lineup is:

- Nicholas DiSalvo / guitar, vocals, synthesizer

- Michael Risberg / guitar, Rhodes piano, slide guitar

- Jack Donovan / bass guitar

- Georg Edert / drums, percussion 

Time to jump in!

Track 1 - Sigil to Ruin (10:39)

The song begins with some quiet tones that fade in and slowly build until the band fully kicks in at about 25 seconds with a quick tempo heavy rhythmic groove.  The guitars and synth play a melodic line over the steady pulse.  At 1:45 an odd meter riff takes over as the music’s dynamic level eases off. The full band returns to lead in the first vocals at around 2:20. The midrange vocals are draped with reverb and delays that fit the mood of the song nicely.  I like how the track is in no hurry, taking its time to develop different themes and moods.  Excellent heavy riffage kicks in at around 4:10. A bridge segment follows.  A new section begins at around 6:20, heralded by delays that are panned hard to both speakers, giving a “ping-pong” effect; very cool!   Just after 7 minutes a synth part takes over joined by drums with odd meter shifts.  The electric piano begins to build around it, followed by tasty, delayed guitars then vocal harmonies.  Just before 9 minutes, the music shifts again to a guitar solo over a new rhythm bed.  This is very heavy, yet warm and spacious.  After a big riff gives a final punctuation, the song winds down with various effects for the final several seconds.  Outstanding opener!

Track 2 - Capture/Releae (8:48)

A warm synth chord fades in to commence the song.  Sequenced synth patterns create a rhythm that is matched by the rhythm section.  The rhythm is syncopated making it difficult to pin down the meter.  At around 2:15, the music takes a turn for the heavy!   After a short verse there is an instrumental section with meter-shifts-a-plenty. I love the harmonized guitar lines between vocal phrases in the next verse.  At around 4 minutes, a “tribal” drumbeat provides the foundation for a bridge.  At around 4:40, an instrumental break with guitar harmonies takes over.  There are lots of juicy bits in this track for sure.  Wow, the section that starts around 6:20 is really rockin’!  Great guitar playing over the smokin’ rhythm section.  There is a lot going on here, in a very good way!  The riffs are very fast and energetic, with nice smooth sustained guitar harmonies on the top as we approach the song’s conclusion.  Excellent cut!

Track 3 - Through Zero (9:06)

Let’s see what the title track brings to the table.   An arpeggiated guitar riff with a flanger, starts us off here.  Then some very complex heavy riffing takes over with the rhythm section laying down an equally complex foundation.  These guys really put the ROCK in Prog Rock.   The first verse brings things down a good bit with minimal accompaniment initially, that builds up as we go along, with drums and bass entering.  A heavy instrumental section follows.  They are reminding me of a less angry Tool quite a bit here.  I like the alternating light/heavy sections.  At 4:00 a new 5-8 groove takes over.  At around 5:15, layered guitars and distant vocal harmonies enter.  I get the impression that the vocals are meant more as another layer of the soundscape at times.  They become more prominent soon after. At around 6:35 there are some brain-tickling panned sounds for a few seconds before the band comes back hard and heavy.  These guys are great at layering instrumental parts and stacking them up.  While there are occasional standout guitar solos, the focus is more on tight, complex, ensemble playing. They seamlessly shift from one riff to the next before there is a final resolving chord then a repeating synth phrase.  Another fantastic track!

Track 4 - Strata (10:48)

The synth from “Through Zero” leads us into this one.  A low-pitched guitar riff joins it then the rhythm section joins in along with shimmering clean guitar parts on the top. The vocals come in at around 1:30 with minimal accompaniment.  The harmonic structure of the vocals is somewhat akin to Alice in Chains.  At around 3:35 a new, quick tempo guitar part takes over, to be joined by the rest of the band.  Damn these guys are tight on the guitar harmonies while the rhythm section navigates all of the rhythmic twists and turns.  These arrangements get quite dense at times, yet all of the parts can be discerned.   I like the new riffs at around 7:30. The guitar solo on this one is a bit flashier than on the previous tracks.  Then there is a major rhythm shift on a dime at 8:00 that made my head spin!  It’s a more straight-forward rock beat here.  Things then smooth out a little at around 9 minutes.  Just before the ten-minute mark they take it down to a low drone.  Spacey synth lines close out the amazing song and take us into…

Track 5 - Sight Unseen (8:50)

The mellow synth parts continue gradually joined by guitar lines and a slowly building drum beat.  They are really holding back here.  Just before the three-minute point, however, the band comes in with some accents, but not in an overly heavy way.  They then get into a Pink Floyd-like groove, if slightly heavier.  So far, no vocals have appeared and we are past the halfway point. At just after 5:20 they start rockin’ hard with odd meter riffs.  What a great slow-burn instrumental this is turning out to be. With about one minute remaining, a sound effect shifts to a more mellow conclusion to our musical journey.  Holy crap! What a ride that was!

Track 6 - Blighted Age (5:49)

The closing track brings acoustic guitar to the sound for the first time on the album, blended with a clean electric line.  The vocals are smooth and I believe there are some conga drums initially providing the beat. The song begins to subtly build up in the second verse.  At 2:15 things come back down.  Electric piano enters shortly thereafter.  There are some beautiful soundscapes being built here.  This is a nice change of pace track to conclude the album on a more mellow note.  Well-done.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

This is the third album I have reviewed in the past few days that is set to be released near the end of May; all three have been incredible!  As noted earlier, this band isn’t about being flashy and showcasing their individual talents, although there are some fleeting moments that tell me that they could do that if they chose to.  Elder, as a band, show that they are committed to creating a collaborative sound, and they do it extremely well! This is making me want to go back and give some more attention to their earlier releases.  Fans of Tool, heavier Rush and even heavier Porcupine Tree/Steven Wilson will likely really enjoy this album.  I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars or 90%.  See the links below to purchase the album and/or hear some tracks on YouTube.

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Prog On!

Scott

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LINKS FOR LISTENING/BUYING:

Through Zero (Title Track):

https://youtu.be/CII5XCjIL4Y?list=RDCII5XCjIL4Y

Capture/Release:

https://youtu.be/Vo73AyUfVz0?list=RDVo73AyUfVz0

The album is available on LP and (shockingly) Cassette for US customers here:

 https://www.bluesfuneral.com/search?q=Elder

The Bandcamp page has various formats, as well as links to order in Europe and Australia:

https://beholdtheelder.bandcamp.com/album/through-zero