By Konrad Göke
Hypnotic, erupting – these words could be used to describe Elder’s epic stoner rock. Around 400 fans came to Hole 44 in Neukölln on Saturday evening – and were not disappointed.
It’s 9 p.m. and the opening acts Samavayo and Steak have already gotten the audience into the groove. Without an intro, without an introduction, Elder suddenly appear on stage and sings “Catastasis”, the ten-minute opening track of their new album “Innate Passage”.
Passage gets to the heart of the US band’s music. American rock is a sprawling journey through epic melodies. The audience – including in the stands that are opened in the hole when the house is sold out – goes along with it: people headbang during the powerful parts, sway during the dreamy intermediate passages.
Nick DiSalvo, the lead guitarist and singer, lets his thin, long fingers flit masterfully over the fretboard of his guitar for the complex guitar riffs, while drummer Georg Edert drives the music through pounding beats and intricate rhythm changes. That is skill.
So the US band makes the gig their home game – which it is anyway. Two of the US members live in Berlin, one is German. Only bassist Jack Donovan still lives on the other side of the pond.
After about an hour and a half of intense progressive metal, the performance culminates in the encore “Gemini,” then the satisfied fans swarm out into the Berlin night again.
The fact that Elder is now selling out venues as the sole headliner has not gone unnoticed by the stars of the scene. For 2024, Elder can heat up the big arenas for the genre legends “Tool”.