One of the areas that I find really interesting is when a band find a way to be heavy without cranking the gain on their amps, without playing a million miles an hour or slowing it down past a funeral dirge, without smashing their drums to pieces, without tuning down 11 octaves past the “brown note”.  Not just sounding heavy, but being heavy.

While there is a bluesy, pentatonic flair to many of the guitar licks which bind the album to the roots and traditions of heavy rock, there’s a sense that we’re hearing is something that’s genuine.  Elder open fire with “Gemini” which is centered around a couple of delicious riffs.  Rather than pounding them into the ground and becoming a slave to the riff, the band use them as a foundation for actually playing together.  There’s an undeniable feeling to this song and when the lyrics at the end proclaim, “I’m coming home”, as the listener, I felt like I was already there.

The title track, “Dead Roots Stirring” clocks in at over 12:00 but it flows so incredibly well that time falls away completely – one of the true blessings of good music.  The melody the band presents during the first few minutes ia truly enchanting and if you don’t like what you’re hearing at this point, best just to check out now.  Three to four minutes, in the boys dig their spurs in and start to kick up some dust.  It’s interesting to me that mid-way through, I’m not rushing to hear what comes next.  I’m not sure if that’s easy to understand, but even when listening to music that I enjoy, there is sometimes a sense of overanticipation to hear what comes next.  With what Elder deliver here, the music unfolds so naturally that each note is enough from one to the next.

The third track, appropriately titled “III”, is a heavily melodic and largely instrumental piece that is full of subtle charms.  By the end, the hairs on my arm have been standing up for some time.  If I were forced to find criticism, one could say that it meanders a little towards the end, but I prefer to think of it as “taking the scenic route”.

“The End” delivers more of what makes this a great album and “Knot” is a densely woven landscape that continues to burn brightly until the curtain is drawn.

The actual recording is noteworthy.  It suits both the band and the songs to a T and while there’s definitely a “vintage” feel to it, there’s plenty of power as well – the likes of which can only be delivered in the modern age.  The guitar sound is highly developed and is perfectly tailored to the style of playing.  It’s hard for me not to indulge a few “guitar nerd” observations at this point.  The guitar tones are really interesting:  it sounds a little too beefy to be single coil pickups yet at the same time, there’s a fluid, singing quality that isn’t often coaxed out of humbuckers.  It’s fat a hell and yet it leaves plenty of room in the mix for the other instruments.  P-90′s, perhaps?  Or maybe just thoughtful amp tweaking and skill behind the mixing desk.  In any case, the bass and drums get proper treatment as well and as a whole, the recording just sounds great.

“Dead Roots Stirring” is a standout release and hails the coming of Elder as a force that is capable and deserving of success across a wide range of musical boundaries.