Bring Out Your Dead
Elysion
Sometimes people forget that genre labels can be a mental constraint that evades you to find something that you are (deep in your heart) looking for, or are a distortion of reality. One of the labels that aren't truly useful is Gothic Metal. How it must sound after all? Some can say that PARADIS LOST on "Draconian Times" days, MY DYING BRIDE on "The Angel and the Dark River" era, ANATHEMA on "Eternity", or any other, but the definition of the label doesn't make sense after all. So try to evade naming what the Greek quintet ELYSION plays on "Bring out the Your Dead", and then have a different vision on their music. It's deep, melodic and melancholic, but in a modern way similar in some points to what EVANESCENCE did on the past (but not as Alternative Metal as them), so one can have better understanding of how melody and aggressiveness meet in their musical work. It's different, full of energy and life, but at the same time that the songs are sounding spontaneous and really hooking due the melodic sewing on the arrangements (pay attention to the orchestrations to check how things change throughout the album), they show a wide range of refined arrangements.
In the end of all, you can call it Gothic Metal, Modern Metal, Melancholic Heavy Metal or 'any-other-name' Metal name you can think of, but no one can say that their music isn't charming or good. It's really, really a very good experience to explore "Bring Out Your Dead" beauties. The quintet produced the album having Mark Adrian as co-producer (and he did the mixing of the songs as well), and the mastering was done by Nasos Nomikos. All was done to create a translucent and heavy sonority, with many points using modern elements (as the tunes of the guitars and bass guitar), but always with things converging to a common point, and it's a great result, indeed. And the design for the cover created by Dimitris Tzortzis is, at the same time, disturbing and beautiful.
"Bring Out Your Dead" is a mature and elegant album, indeed, and the contrasts the ears can perceive are into the concept their songs use (as a meeting between the purity of the nature that wasn't corrupted by mankind with the veil of sadness left by COVID-19 pandemic). So you better be prepared to enjoy the travel the band is offering, especially during songs as "Blink of an Eye" (the modern melodies used by the band are hard to resist, with excellent singing, fine orchestrations and a catchy chorus), "Crossing Over" (the melancholy fills the melodies, but always allowing the aggressiveness flow on the guitar riffs and arrangements, and the aesthetics really is nearer something used by acts as SISTERS OF MERCY and JOY DIVISION), "Buried Alive" (a deeper and charming song with a 'noir' ambience, so the bass guitar and drums becomes evident in many moments, showing the precision and weight of the band rhythmic session), "As the Flower Withers" (what lovely and simple melodies are used once more, with weight and refinement meeting again), "Raid the Universe" (some Prog Rock arrangements can be heard on the guitars on this one), "Brand New Me" (the melancholic appeal of this one is something irresistible, indeed), and "Eternity". But pay attention: these are just for the first visit on the album, because it will hook you in such way that you'll hear all the songs at the second time.
"Bring Out Your Dead" isn't an album hard to become in love with, so listen to it and praise ELYSION's work.
10 / 10
Masterpiece
Songwriting
Musicianship
Memorability
Production
"Bring Out Your Dead" Track-listing:
1. Blink of an Eye
2. Crossing Over
3. Far Away
4. Buried Alive
5. As the Flower Withers
6. Raid the Universe
7. This Time
8. Brand New Me
9. Blue Seasons
10. Eternity
Elysion Lineup:
Christianna - Vocals
Johnny Zero - Guitars
Nid - Guitars
FXF - Bass
Ilias Laitsas - Drums
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