ALBUM REVIEW: Through Zero – Elder
If you didn’t already know, heavy music can be incredibly relaxing. That might sound like a contradiction in terms, but it’s only too obvious on Through Zero, the seventh full-length album from ELDER. Now in their twentieth year as a band, the four-piece have spent the past two decades playing heady, prog-tinged stoner metal that feels a bit like being trapped inside a lava lamp. This latest effort sees them fully embracing the paisley shirts and flared trousers side of their personalities, and it’s a mind-bending listen.
It also finds them sounding more prog than metal. There are still links to the dark side here; you can hear traces of the thunderous, mountain-top escapades of SLEEP and the clattering-around-inside-futuristic-grandfather-clocks of BOSS KELOID. But unlike both of those bands, ELDER wouldn’t get kicked out of a hippie jam session for bringing the mood down. The instrumental passages are dense and ethereal, Nick DiSalvo’s vocals are echoes from space, and there’s a precision behind every reverberating note. The likes of Capture/Release can trace their origins to the first ever Woodstock festival line-up and there’s a freewheeling sense of invention at work throughout.
The mid-album title track is a clear highlight. For over nine minutes, ELDER alternate between blissed-out, post-rock melodies and high octane riffage, all while maintaining a hypnotic quality. Strata is the soundtrack to wandering into a desert at the exact moment the edibles kick in, and Sight Unseen is a song that positively shimmers with ambience. If ELDER can do one thing with their eyes shut, its craft elaborate and atmospheric musical journeys that unfurl like lotus flowers made of iron.
Refreshingly, it ends on an optimistic note. Blighted Age is the most chilled-out track, and there’s a hopeful vibe running through it. Nick’s vocals barely show up and it wouldn’t be surprising if this started out as an instrumental, as the focus is on the kind of laidback stoner rock that BLACK SABBATH perfected on Planet Caravan. It’s not a bombastic grand finale, but it’s a fitting way to bring the curtain down.
ELDER have referred to themselves in the past as a “heavy psych” band. Having spent a couple of weeks digesting Through Zero, there’s no better description. This is beautifully executed prog music that’ll appeal to Hellfest attendees and GRATEFUL DEAD obsessives alike. Through Zero sets a remarkably high standard for prog in 2026, this record is exceptional.
And yes, it’s relaxing. ELDER have made heavy music that is soothing. It’s not a headbang constantly album, but you don’t need to break your neck muscles when the universe is already spiralling. Man.
Rating: 9/10
Through Zero is set for release on May 29th via Stickman Records and Blues Funeral Recordings.
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