THE ELYSIAN FIELDS - Suffering G.O.D. Almighty

THE ELYSIAN FIELDS
Suffering G.O.D. Almighty
Black Lotus Records
7/10





New Age Electronica expertly fused with death metal is about as extreme a combination as is possible as The Elysian Fields must certainly be one of the most curious acts going today. These guys do not come off as hook oriented as The Kovenant, with their style melding a much truer form of death than you’ll find anywhere else.

Hyperblasts fused with techno synths, what will they think of next?

Vocalist Bill A. produces a deathly growl that is a commanding presence on top of the synth effects and the savage riffing of Marinos is at once complex and intense. The Elysian Fields are reminiscent of what you might hear at a Gothenburg rave, the key notes falling like icy droplets onto a jagged surface of chugging chords and intense rhythms.

The title track features a verse riff that almost ventures into black metal territory, but the galloping guitars during the song’s break turn a bit deathly, making for an interesting interplay in between the contrasting styles. Flanged out death growls during this track do that much more to add to the overall originality of the song and when the band thrashes along to the cosmic sounding synth effects, it at times sounds like total chaos, which assumedly, was exactly what the group was going for in the first place.

“Ravished With Thee Light” is the most reminiscent of Dark Tranquillity, but The Elysian Fields push the synth effects further down the envelope, making for a sound which is highly original. At times, the synthesizers are placed a little high in the mix, so it sounds like a major drop off when they are taken out of the picture for brief moments.

For those lovers of extreme music that are unafraid to check out something different, this is a very interesting record, but purists will have a hard time digesting the large amounts of keys and programming.

Definitely different, The Elysian Fields have set themselves apart as certain innovators with the release of “Suffering G.O.D. Almighty.”

Written By: The Boatman