November is Doom- Elder: "Innate Passage"

 

Six albums in and it is becoming even more apparent this German band has more in common with progressive rock bands than they do doom bands. There is something appealing about what they do as the almost eleven minutes that encompasses the opening track goes by fast. It is filled with synths, harmony vocals and guitar solos. They loosen their harder edged tendencies that the first song had, the guitar takes on more of a jangle and the vocals relax into brighter melodies. There is something syncopation in places. The vocals glide around the complex guitar runs, this feels more like Porcupine Tree or Opeth than, any of the classic prog bands with 70s Yes perhaps the closet to what is going down here. 

The need for groove is filled on "Coalescence". The bass line lays down the foundation for the most interesting and catchy vocal melody yet to ride it. Where metal bands try to overwhelm you with heavy sounds in order to escape the finer points of songwriting, the same can happen with progressive bands who get too impressed with their own technical prowess. These guys have enough of that without sacrificing this song. The longest song on this album is the almost fifteen minute "Merged in Dreams". It winds around and takes you on a trip to different sonic places, but as far as melodies that stick with you, that is not the song's primary function, instead is a labyrinth jam. 

"the Purpose" feels like an extension of the previous son in how they jam it out. It is marginally darker and carries a more thoughtful shimmer to its atmosphere. They jam things out for three minutes before the vocals come in. There is stormy tension the guitar. The vocals are more like human accents. I will give this album a 9, as it works more often than not thanks to their skills as musicians, the weight really rests on if they want to serve the song or show off, since it's getting a high school, it should be evident the two balance each other out for the bulk of the album. However, it is not something I would listen to on a regular basis. But fans of the band, have a great deal to celebrate.