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I really enjoyed Elder’s self-titled debut back in ‘08, but their follow-up left me cold, so I was on the fence about this one, but I find myself really, really enjoying it. In their debut the band was all about Sabbathy thugging and arcane heaviness, and this one is back at the crushing riffs, but also enjoying some lighter, more melodic shading for a sound that is not a relentless slog. The production is spot on, with a deep guitar sound yet with a lot of space and clarity, so nothing gets turned into mush. Vocals are still a bit of a weak point, as Nick DiSalvo is not great. He gets the job done, but they could do with a better singer. Thankfully he is mixed low, so he doesn’t bury anything. The songwriting is what has taken a big jump, far from the dullness of the last album, this one is lively, groovy, and often crushingly heavy. A great comeback for this band.