You won’t find a whole lot about Elixir Of Distress on the Internet and all I have to go with is a hand written note that came with the promo disc. Basically although the album recording session started in 2013 due to various reasons it has only just been finally mixed and released. In that time the recording band are basically no more. That said they are still active with new members and working on a new album and will unveil themselves as to who they are when it is ready to see the light of day. Having heard ‘Kontynent’ I am glad the Polish band are still going to carry on even if it is in a new guise as this is a solid album. It’s never easy keeping things together especially when it takes so long to get an album out and it is a shame that more people are not likely to hear it unless it is going to be put up online or be made more widely available.
Having said that ‘Kontynent’ is not going to be for everyone as it contains very grim subject matter being about the Soviet forced labour camp system. One can thankfully only guess at how horrible it must be to find yourself in just such a situation and having had a sort of insight into the horror of a Soviet military prison after seeking out and viewing Svetlana Baskova’s film The Green Elephant (something I wouldn’t advise to those easily shocked) there are no shortage of harrowing images available in my head whilst listening to the music. Of course I am on the whole sheltered here as the lyrics are all in Polish and it’s not like I can follow the narrative in that sense.
Somewhat sombre melody sweeps straight in with dictatorial vocals quickly following and we are off with 50 minutes worth of blackened are divided over 5 tracks. With titles like Kolyma, Katorga and Workuta bristling with sharp constants and big screams coming out the speakers you might expect this to be a total exercise in harrowing dissonance but it is quite the opposite and is full bodied with plenty of graceful melody flowing serpentine like around it. The band are not all about ploughing away at full speed, when they do, they do so admirably but the songs are enforced by some gorgeous acoustic moments with a sense of grace and atmosphere about them. When the first one hits in the opening title track, it was kind of unexpected but fits in really well and allows the long song to breathe as it goes through many different motions. It’s certainly depressive, although going back to the context it is hardly suicidal as one envisages that prisoners are given little chance to take that option out and are more likely to drop from overwork within the brutal regime they are in. The more acoustic parts and melody especially with moments of near spoken word parts and strong powerful clean singing are reminiscent of Shining Sweden to my ears and as a reference point fans of that band would probably be happy to wallow in the darkness on display here.
At times the music is pretty merciless like a long hard winter working fingers to the bone in a frenzy of whiplashing guitars, however it is always surprisingly accessible rather than an ordeal to listen to and melody, poise and precision always shines through as does a glimmer of hope in form of the fluid leads and frond like acoustic parts. There’s nothing in the form of drudgery here apart from translation of the name of the most bitter and nasty track here at the midway point ‘Katorga.’ The band have done a fantastic job and this has been an enthralling listen musically and one that has had my mind working along with it presenting a vision of hell. I guess now the new band members have their work cut out to top this and hopefully they can only come back stronger. Kontynent is going to be a work that takes some beating though and they definitely have their work cut out. All I can provide you with in reference here is a link to a page containing the music of 4th track ‘Workuta.’ Check it out below to get some idea of the scope of Elixir Of Darkness.
(8/10 Pete Woods)
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