ELDINGAR is a black metal band from Greece, who hit the scene with their debut album “Maenads,” in 2021. While I enjoyed that album, I did find it contained a lot of filler. Their second full-length album, “Lysistrata,” is, overall, a much better experience. The album is divided into longer, black metal compositions and shorter, folk inspired instrumentals. The flow between the two styles works well for the first half of the album, although near the end everything sort of goes off rails. The album opens with the instrumental “Dryope” and I find it to be a solid introduction to the album. It may be clean, but it still captures the arcane magic presented in the heavier parts of the album. It’s intricate enough to gain my attention and I never skipped it. Unfortunately, the other instrumentals don’t fare as well. “Inside Cosmos,” is a little too simple for my tastes, offering itself up as more of a breather or interlude than an actual song. But it is placed well in the tracklisting, arriving after three epic blackened compositions.

The final two songs, “Myrrine” and “Where To Stand” don't offer many reasons for me to return. Having two clean songs back to back to finish the album is very underwhelming, especially when neither of them are very interesting. As it stands, the seventh track, “Ode” is where the album really ends for me. I think the aforementioned songs would have been more convincing if they arrived before “Ode.” However, all these quibbles aside, the album is still a solid experience. With the intro and five long songs being the meat of the album, there is more than enough content here to enjoy. The title track begins with the cold winds of blackened fury offering a punishing urgency. The riffs are surprisingly catchy and provide a lot more than the usual nonstop tremolo picking. I love how well the bass can be heard and it’s played well too, both complementing and adding to the song,

The middle passage of the song is interesting, taking a totally different angle with what sounds like throat singing and subtle, ambient textures. It sounds great and perfectly bridges the two halves of the song together. “Ares,” walks a melodic path, at least in the beginning. The mid-paced tempo finds a steady groove, bolstered by the exciting drums. The vocals alternate between growls and screams, going a long way in adding an abrasive edge to the song. The middle part is fast and highlighted by thunderous drums and depraved vocals. Once again, the band throws a curveball, this time by ending the song in clean instrumentation and spoken word. As I mentioned before, “Ode” sounds like the album’s true ending. It’s my favorite song on the album too. I like that it begins gently and builds up; it all sounds very natural, no force required. The riffs walk the balance between heavy and melodic. The vocals also find a balance, riding the line between spoken word and actual vocal cadence. The tension builds up, the action rising until the song explodes around the halfway mark.

All in all, ELDINGAR’s “Lysistrata,” is a step up from their debut, even if the band still struggles with some filler and balance issues. If they can get out of their own way and find more focus within their sound, their next album will probably be something truly special.