Cracksleep

Eldritch

ELDRITCH are a Progressive Metal outfit formed in 1991 in Italy. This is their 11th […]
By Eric Tinmouth-Poulin
April 3, 2018
Eldritch - Cracksleep album cover

ELDRITCH are a Progressive Metal outfit formed in 1991 in Italy. This is their 11th full length album entitled "Cracksleep", it spans over 11 tracks of a total of 51:59 minutes. The album was released through Scarlet Records on March 23rd 2018. The opening title track "Cracksleep" starts with some piano and symphonic elements, a very ominous intro, which transitions into a crushing riff with added solos/high pitch notes. "Reset" picks up where the previous track left off, heavy rhythm guitars and solos. Terence Holler shows up quickly on this one in great form, and again one of the strongest elements this band is accustomed to is in full force: emotional and passionate choruses, the perfect counterpart to the heaviness that surrounds it. We even get some haunting piano parts in this one.

"Deep Frost" has a much different synth atmosphere in its early stages. It does not take time for the crunchy riffing to show its face. This is a formula long-time fans are now used to. The chorus is much slower here however, and seems a bit "forced", yet still manages to fulfill its purpose. The song has some interesting solos as well. "Aberration of Nature" is a thrashier/modern metal one, the guitars show off a lot of anger and so do some of the harsher back vocals. The chorus is the absolute opposite, very energetic and "positive", the juxtaposition is an interesting choice considering the song's topic. "My Breath" follows the tempo of the ending of its predecessor, a grain of acoustic guitars/ center-stage vocals. With the title, I expected a slower power ballad, but there is a sinister side to it.

"Silent Corner" shows off the more traditional metal aspects, and some more intricate transitions with nice grooves, intertwined with Holler's passion. At times, it is reminiscent of more stoner/doom passages. "As the Night Crawls In" has some well performed piano parts in the intro, which as we know, set the tempo for a slower and more ominous piece of music. "Voice calling" has some higher pitch notes on the guitars, and are bit overdone in the intro and are quite aggressive at the start. The vocals are on two levels, either very jerky, yet on point with the guitars, or very melodic. I prefer the latter on this track.

"Staring at the Ceiling" is completely different, much more mid-tempo, and one of the stronger track found here. Since like some other songs, it does not go from one phase to another, it is much easier to follow. "Night Feelings" has a very chaotic introduction, but does use the typical ELDRITCH pattern of having a great chorus, the best one in my opinion. "Hidden Friend" shows of a lot of bitterness and sadness to conclude the album. Overall, this is a good effort. I would definitely not classify this one as their best album, but it follows the ingredients of their previous 3 albums. If you enjoyed those, I am sure you will find something to sink your teeth into here.

7 / 10

Good

Songwriting

7

Musicianship

7

Memorability

7

Production

8
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"Cracksleep" Track-listing:

1. Cracksleep
2. Reset
3. Deep Frost
4. Aberration of Nature
5. My Breath
6. Silent Corner
7. As the Night Crawls In
8. Voices Calling
9. Staring at the Ceiling
10. Night Feelings
11. Hidden Friend

Eldritch Lineup:

Eugene Simone - Guitars
Terence Holler - Vocals
Raffahell Dridge - Drums
Rudj Ginanneschi - Guitars
Alessio Consani - Bass

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