Not content to just let the sludgy boi/spooky girl pairings have all the fun with multi-artist collaborations in Doom, A Story Of Darkness And Light (Stickman Records)features the coming together of Elder and Kadavar as Eldovar (I don’t know where that ‘o’ comes from either). The two groups certainly make for interesting bedfellows; while both are arguably rooted in Seventies Rock traditions, Elder has evolved to Heavy Prog splendor while Kadavar largely subsists on off-the-cuff Stoner Blues. However, their shared interest in various genre experiments as well as established track records of high quality material gives plenty of fertile ground for such a union.
With Elder and Kadavar having both dug deep into spacey atmospheres in 2020’s Omens and The Isolation Tapes respectively, it only makes sense for this album to go full on Pink Floyd worship. The opening ‘From Deep Within’ is a particularly interesting example of the bands’ duality in action as the bookending sequences are defined by lightly wafting textures ala Omens with a driving middle segment that hints at a more ominous, Isolation-invoking direction. Elsewhere, ‘Rebirth Of The Twins’ and ‘Raspletin’ are shorter ventures that play into each other well with some synth-heavy jamming and ‘Blood Moon Night’ has a ‘Sheep’-style shuffle that picks up disorienting heaviness as it goes along.
But as much fun as it can be to engage in some extended trip-outs, the album’s more emotional sequences may be the most satisfying. ‘In The Way’ makes for a very dreamy Psych-Folk number, floating somewhere between the realms of The Beatles and Hawkwind, and ‘Cherry Trees’ is a gentle piano-oriented closer. ‘El Matador’ may be my favorite track of the lot due to its more introspective take on the ethereal; on an album that seems much more interested in more classic Floyd inspiration, I can’t help but enjoy hearing what sounds more like a nod to The Division Bell.
It also goes without saying that the musicianship is stellar throughout with the players being integrated quite well. The textures are dominated by a mix of guitar effects and keyboards, each effectively filling out the dynamics. This leads to the vocals taking on a decidedly sparse role, but a careful ear can decipher between Nick DiSavlo’s calm demeanor and Christoph Lindemann’s subtle eccentricity in classic Gilmour/Waters tradition. Unfortunately, Elder bassist Jack Donovan was unable to attend the proceedings, but Simon Bouteloup holds down the fort with sufficient bite and the drumming is tight without getting too overbearing.
Whether Eldovar should be seen as the sum of its parts or a distinct identity, A Story Of Darkness And Light ultimately amounts to a very pleasant venture. Elder fans might not like how it arguably leans more on Kadavar’s side of the spectrum, and the Floyd influences may be a little too overt for some, but it makes for a solid meeting point. The songwriting strikes a very strong balance between spontaneity and purpose, injecting just enough of the former for free-spirited variety and the latter shines through the coherent ebb and flow of the songwriting. With both bands maintaining very high batting averages for their own efforts, it’s great to see them bring their levels of greatness here.
Buy the album here: https://beholdtheelder.bandcamp.com/album/eldovar-a-story-of-darkness-light
9 / 10
CHRIS LATTA