Band : Eternal Elysium
Album Title : Mysterious Views In Stone Garden
Label : Electric Earth
Distributor : Bertus - Suburban
Release Date : December 2008
Review : CD

Eternal Elysium have recorded four albums and two split EPs over their career. They were formed in 1991 by guitarist/vocalist Yukito Okazaki and have gone through numerous line-up changes over the years. Combining twisted psych time signatures, loose song structure and bluesy sonic textures, this Japanese threesome make music that appeals to the most broadminded fans of heavy rock. The result can be heard on Mysterious Views In Stone Garden, the second release from Electric Earth Records in 2008 that is nearly a re-issue of  three older songs “Shadowed Flower”, “Northern Smile” and “Absent Pain”, that were on a split-CD with US doomcore duo Black Cobra plus a new recorded instrumental piece “Views on C#” .
From the first track “Shadowed flower”  to the last “Views on C#”  Eternal Elysium take you on a versatile musical journey that is inspired by the best Risng Sun-album ever Satori by Flower Travellin’ Band, added elements from stoner (Kyuss), NWOBHM (Desolation Angels, Holocaust, Diamond Head), doom (Candlemass, Goatsnake, St. Vitus) as well as bluesy 70s (Cream, Thin Lizzy, Groundhogs) to their otherwise original compositions. Yukito Okazaki’s guitar sound has always been at the core of the Eternal Elysium sound. The overall sound is full and well balanced and there is an agreeable warmth and crackle to the guitar distortion which gives the record an electric, alive aura. The band's potential shows best in the inventive song structures and tempo changes, but tends to get a bit one-dimensional in the vocal section, but that ’s a minor criticism.

I bet this stuff is absolutely groovy live, but until Eternal Elysium come to Europe (Roadburn 2009), this 10” will nicely satisfy your craving for heavy psych rock. Essential.

As a bonus, there’s a fullcolour poster (50cm x 70cm) of the band anno 2008.

Cosmicmasseur.