The more a musical genre evolves, the more it needs refreshments to keep itself interesting for new fans that are coming in the (both near and far) future. An idea that was born during the 80s is the mixing of elements, the experimentations to open new possibilities, what can expand the genre to new and unexplored limits. And it's the case of the Fresno (California, USA) based quartet ELDER DEVIL, as can be heard on their first full length, "Everything Worth Loving". Their noisy and bitter music is a form of mixing aspects of Grindcore with Sludge Metal and bits of Hardcore. The words can seem simple, but their music (even not being technically overloaded) demands some patience to be fully understood by the listeners, because it's not simply one musical genre or another, but a combination, what means that sometimes one will deal with faster tempos (with obvious blast beats), and some others where speed decreases a lot, but always keeping is bitter and abrasive outfit.

It's nasty and full of energy, brutal in some moments and filled with a massive impact that will not leave a hearer with the wrong idea of what they're up to. "Everything Worth Loving" was recorded and mixed by Jacob Lee between April-May 2022, and mastered by James Plotkin. The idea: to combine the brutality and distortion of Grindcore with the filthy and crude approach of Sludge Metal. And it's what the band got, sounding raw and full of energy, but in a form that's not hard to be understood.

Don't come thinking to listening to the album and understanding it at the first (and only) listen, because "Everything Worth Loving" has many secrets to be revealed. The longs aren't long (barely reaching 3 minutes, excepting for "Insomnia"). And one can have a better initial idea of what they're up to after paying attention to "Endless Need" (this songs is a perfect sample of what their idea means, with contrasts between faster and slower parts, with a distorted and impacting work of bass guitar and drums), "The Hounds at Night" (some influences of early Thrash Metal can be heard on the guitar riffs and arrangements), "Awash in Light" (the brutality of this one can remind something used by NAPALM DEATH during "Scum" days), "New Grief" (another one with charming contrasts between fast and slow moments), "Insomnia" (a nasty and desperate slow song with a heavy dose of oppressive and melancholic elements, with very good screamed vocals), "After Flesh" (another song that will bring the classic Grindcore feeling during its faster parts), "Puncture Wound" (this one is plenty of Old School Hardcore hooks, but with obvious moments with low speed levels), "Burning Forest" (some fast stonecrushing parts reminds me of the Grindcore golden age during the first half of the 90s), and "Everything Worth Loving". It can shake your brains into a bloody and jelly mess without efforts.

After listening to "Everything Worth Loving", one can be sure that ELDER DEVIL is here to stay and to crush ears. And to be a great name in the scene, indeed.