E-L-R are a Swiss trio from Bern that left quite an impression with their debut Maenad, released in 2019 via Prophecy Productions. Spun around a tale of rituals performed by the maenads, the female followers of the ancient Greek god of wine, the album delivered highly atmospheric music with lush soundscapes, shoegazy doom high on reverb, creating the impression of experiencing a drug-induced haze. Gentle yet strong double female vocals perfected the compositions and gave them a special appeal, as did the contributions of two well-known guest vocalists, Dool’s Ryanne van Dorst and Colin van Eeckhout of Amenra.
Now, E-L-R are back presenting their sophomore album Vexier. It’s five tracks, summing up to a playing time of roughly 45 minutes, show the band evolving and further developing their sound. The music does not deviate that far from the sound of Maenad, certainly not as far as to alienate fans, but it does show a broader palette of influences than the band’s debut. The doomy, shoegazy soundscapes, peppered with recordings of nature sounds, now rise to powerful walls of sound. A strong psychedelic vibe can be felt which wasn’t as pronounced before, and the band’s very own musical cosmos now also includes a few black metal passages.
Opiate The Sun is the album’s first track and the passageway to the labyrinth of sound that is Vexier. A very slow ambient build-up lures the listener in with is velvety darkness and establishes a connection to the last album. After a few minutes the soundscape unexpectedly explodes into a massive outburst, the equivalent of drugs kicking in. From here, the music flows and meanders. The line “Opiate the sun” is repeated over and over again, like a mantra, to ritualistic and meditative effect. Things speed up a bit with the second track, Three Winds. Soundscape and tempo change to a melodic black metal template, with fast, persistent drumming, before they return to the psychedelic, doomy, hazy sound that is the band’s specialty. Bird song can be heard through the fog, upholding a connection to nature and the outdoors, also a key element of the band’s music. A slightly sinister component enters via some guitar riffs and is even more pronounced in track number three, Seeds. With slightly Asian-sounding melodies, this is my favourite track on the whole album. Subdued, dreamy vocals are one of its most beautiful details and probably one of the highlights of Vexier. With Fleurs of Decay things get realer, more threatening, more dangerous. Gone are dreams and ecstasy, enter swirling, grinding black metal. The sound of rain falling cools things down a bit and carries over to the final track, Forêt. Pounding, tribal drumming atop an undercurrent of foreboding ambient sounds serves as intro for guest vocalist Baze. A story is told, but about what I cannot say, since it is not told in a language I know. The double female vocals return and shine once more, the black metal frenzy is heard once again, but not for long. Forêt ends melancholic and quiet which is a surprise after this cosmos of sound, yet the calm tones seem fitting nevertheless and carry a sense of closure and contentedness.
I liked Vexier as much as I liked Maenad, although I must admit that I miss an intriguing background story as that of the rituals of the maenads. However, Vexier has its own magic. The album’s fascinating soundscapes form a labyrinth of music. This, therefore, is music to get lost in.
(8.5/10 Slavica)
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