Eternal Elysium – Resonance of Shadows [2016; Cornucopia Records]

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Originally released with eight tracks, Eternal Elysium’s sixth studio album was reissued the following year with five more songs showing off the Japanese band’s retro heavy psych rock.  Trading freely between English and Japanese in the singing, the group unrolls busy blankets of pedaled guitar over crunchy bass groundings, while the drum-work jumps all over the place with its rhythm reinforcements and flourishes.  Inflections of prog crop up occasionally, with time signature change-ups and long trains of melody mutation, but the songs are generally fairly straight-forward with their song-writing, letting the guitar handle most of the twists.  There’s no notable divergence from the band’s usual style, but at the same time, there’s also no under-performance, as they maintain a respectable level of quality throughout the album.  Something more for existing fans of the group, but still enjoyable for what it is.

Shivas Nat – Gimme Your / Lovebug [2014; H42 Records]

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The A-side of this single throws itself into some throwback psych rock with a heavy, almost biker rock, touch.  Bass and the low-groan vocals dominate, with keyboards, the dirty electric guitar, and higher “Whoo whoo whoo!”s for balance as it neatly escalates into a howling release.  The B-side brings some mod rock flavor, with a lazily cool attitude and laid-back bass groove accompanying the hard-ridden chorus.  Very good stuff on both sides, channeling the influence of yesteryear without being too slavish in the emulation.

Here’s the alternate cover art.

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And the cover art from the test pressings.

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Eternal Elysium – Highflyer [2012; Cornucopia Records]

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Reissued a year after its initial release with two extra tracks attached, this EP by the Japanese heavy psych rock band of Eternal Elysium finds them melding thick atmospherics with quick-moving riffs, in a stepping-stone between their 2009 Within the Triad and 2016 Resonance of Shadows LPs.  Hard-plugging bass lashes, wide and warm guitar licks, and deep but flexible drum-work join the passionate vocals for a comfortable set of songs that bypass fuzz crutches in favor of genuine instrumental skill and the members playing off of each other in fun ways.  Good stuff throughout, though the CD version does end up feeling too short.

Here’s the original cover art.

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