Elder

Wow. Screamo has been around so long that there’s actually a resurgence of its earlier days, as Elder prove with this three-song eponymous offering. Side-stepping the current onslaught of bands stalled in the screeching verse/bawling chorus mindset, these guys slip back to the second wave of Fugazi disciples, producing tunes abounding in moments of tormented wailing and moderately mathematical instrumentation. At times, their raspy distortion and throaty vocals are reminiscent of Grade’s finer moments, which isn’t a bad thing in the slightest, given that most bands strive to duplicate that embittered rage but rarely do. There is much passion and grace in the delivery of these three songs: "Town of Clay, "Shifting Gaze” and "Golden Flower,” respectively. Many parts and dynamic passages prove the band know how to bond the worlds of complication and sentiment equally, creating songs that are compelling to both personal emotions and an awareness of musical refinement.