
Eldritch
Underlying Issues
Scarlet Records
2015
Eldritch will have been going on for some 25 years next year and they just released their 10th album “Underlying Issues” earlier this month. Back in the day before recording became really affordable on lesser equipment, Eldritch had been presented as a quite illustrious prog-power combo that did release some pretty interesting albums, initially. Then switching labels and band members on a usual basis caused the band to lose traction.
The hotly touted Italians never quite managed to live up to their promise, started chasing trades soundwise, which caused a bit of a backlash among their fandom and by the time they had sort of returned to a style that was closer to their original they had lost the momentum. With only Eugene Simone (guitars) and Terence Holler (vocals) remaining from back in the day, the band has managed to retain its lineup rather stable in recent years and they indeed seem to be experiencing a second or third period of being quite “interesting”.
Somewhat proggier, than last year’s “Tasting the Tears”, “Underlying Issues” seems to draw inspiration from multiple sources, but it doesn’t deliver quite consistently. While, the band’s pedigree is evident, only certain songs seem to work with “Danger Zone” and “Before I Die” being probably two of the better ones. The intent to experiment and groove in some songs in the middle of the album – sort of is a hit and miss… and the almost thrash verses of “Slowmotion K Us” throws the listener another curveball and confuses more than it allures.
Not a bad band, but their latter day albums are quite the hit and miss affair… and this is no different.
The hotly touted Italians never quite managed to live up to their promise, started chasing trades soundwise, which caused a bit of a backlash among their fandom and by the time they had sort of returned to a style that was closer to their original they had lost the momentum. With only Eugene Simone (guitars) and Terence Holler (vocals) remaining from back in the day, the band has managed to retain its lineup rather stable in recent years and they indeed seem to be experiencing a second or third period of being quite “interesting”.
Somewhat proggier, than last year’s “Tasting the Tears”, “Underlying Issues” seems to draw inspiration from multiple sources, but it doesn’t deliver quite consistently. While, the band’s pedigree is evident, only certain songs seem to work with “Danger Zone” and “Before I Die” being probably two of the better ones. The intent to experiment and groove in some songs in the middle of the album – sort of is a hit and miss… and the almost thrash verses of “Slowmotion K Us” throws the listener another curveball and confuses more than it allures.
Not a bad band, but their latter day albums are quite the hit and miss affair… and this is no different.