What the F?
09/25/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Does it ever get any better than this? Three crazed yet cool Japanese greasers thumping, pummeling, intricately soloing, and singing right on the edge, the very precipice of melodrama, without falling over. "Well I never" is all I can say. Eternal Elysium puts all else that's been going on with whatever the hell you want to call it (sludge, stoner, doom, etc.) simply to shame. Albums like this do not come along regularly, so I suggest you snap it up now. Not a false move on the entire disc, and the wind chimey suite at the end is gravy on the cake. The many comparisons of I've heard seem a bit off, so let me give it a try: Black Sabbath Volume 4 meets the Beatles on Abbey Road. Sound impossible, ridiculous, downright dangerous? You bet. These cats give Hendrix a run for his money in the sheer rock department, then babble a bit of Arnold Layne era Floyd between. Don't be a fool. Buy this or miss out on the best record of the last decade, bar none."
Great gift for the Heavy Metal fan in your life.
Into | everywhereandnowhere | 06/28/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I've never agreed with another reviewer more. Florida 4/18/00 is right - this is an instant classic. I think almost any HM fan would like this. This Japanese power trio is well within the idiom of c.1970 "stoner" metal. They play with power and agility, with plenty of pleasingly familiar riffs, and cool tempo and rhythm changes within the extended song structures. The guitar sound is satisfyingly fuzzed without the excessive muddiness of MofR Black Sabbath, and the clear, atmospheric vocals are used judiciously so that this has the feel of a mostly instrumental album. Let me put it this way: if my old Black Sabbath albums sounded like this, I'd still be able to stand listening to them all the way through, a lot more often. This is one of the best "retro," albums you'll ever hear, in any genre, but it's not merely a good retro album; it's a good album, period. And it isn't merely a rehash of old themes: sure it's satisfying to crunch on an instrumental track that reminds you of Black Sabbath's "Rat Salad," but then they'll go off and jam like something you wish you heard more of back in the '70's. It's rare to hear a band do an "homage album" and have it turn out sounding better than most of the genre it's paying homage to. Just in time for summer, this has become my favorite album to listen to while driving around in my car with the windows down. Almost anyone who appreciates the full spectrum of Heavy Metal will like this album, and play it over and over again. As a bonus, they went ahead and filled up the already generous CD by making the last track about 15-20 minures of spacey atmospheric "Zen" sounds, e.g. temple bells, drums, wind chimes, to add even more ambience to the trip."
Pschedelic Doom Rock perfection!
Into | 04/18/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Old school Doom fans REJOICE! The cd you've been waiting for has arrived! This cd is "Master of Reality" for the new millenium! Eternal Elysium breaks new ground in psychedelic doom with 9 crunching tracks which will appeal heavily to fans of early Black Sabbath and Witchfinder General as well as fans of NWOBHM. I can't rave enough about this cd! Best songs in my opinion are W.T.G.B, Splendid, Selfish Woman and Easygoin but there are NO WEAK tracks! Excellent clear vocals from frontman Yukito Okazaki, intricate song structures, mood and pace changes throughout, Everything about this cd screams classic! A MUST HAVE release from the heaviest record label on earth, Meteor City!"
Track Listings (9) - Disc #1
