|
We
can’t demand that every band comes up with a unique or
innovative sound. It’s simply preposterous. Plus, let’s face it;
about 80% of experimentations are not even worth hearing. So we
should embrace bands that concentrate in songwriting and shall
not always put them down simply because they tread on the blues
based rock of AC/DC, the intricate jazz metal guitar patterns of
Atheist, the humongous suckiness levels of Kiss, the ties of The
Hives or the mustache from that Converge dude. That said, UK’s
Fall of Efrafa sound a hell of a lot like Neurosis,
except….except nothing. But Elil is awesome all the same. Much
like the best material from the San Francisco leaders Fall of
Efrafa’s crusty post rock takes its time to get stirred. Unlike
Neurosis though, once these young lads get going there ain’t no
stopping. Elil is comprised of three cuts; all long, expansive
and seemingly themselves comprised by several movements. The
first one “Beyond the Veil” goes from dead quiet, to heavy, to
faster heavy only to slowly bring down the speed (which is not
that fast any way), give way to an acoustic passage that lays
flat and works as a breather before the tune gets heavy again.
The riffs are simple, two to three notes, open and breathing
freely for over twenty minutes.
Elil is the
second part (following the first part Owsla) in the band’s The
Warren of Snares trilogy. Like all trilogies, there must be
concordant ideas flowing here. Elil, for instance, means
predator and this record as a whole deals with the evils of
predatory religious institutions, ‘Ignorant belief systems that
sway the minds of a large proportion of humanity on this planet,
blinding us as we pollute and rape the earth’. So you get the
idea. Fall of Efrafa, like Neurosis is not out here simply to
rock out, but also to wake you up and then inform. But beyond
all the concepts and ideas, Elil is solid and simple too. At
least musically, more blunt, direct and uncomplicated than the
band’s objectives. When second cut “Dominion Theology” kicks in,
it’s clear this quintet doesn’t complicate itself; the riff is
grand, but because of its own constitution it sticks itself in
the brain, the vocals of Alex are growled but legible, easy to
understand. Elil was produced by Peter Miles, who has worked
with a lot of English bands, but expect to hear more stuff
produced by this guy. Elil sounds great, Miles could have gone
for a rougher angle, but has instead dished out a very natural
sounding record with great acoustics. The package is also
gorgeous, a collaborative work of Germany’s Alerta Antifascista,
England’s Sound devastation and Milwaukee’s Halo of Flies.
Official Site
MySpace |
