Heriotz sustraiak

Dark ambient BM act Elffor is certainly an enthusiastic and energetic project, having released its tenth album "Heriotz Sustraiak" in the space of 14 years after its 1998 debut. I didn't think very highly of Elffor's first album "Into the Dark Forest" which was a solo all-synth effort: the limitations of using just synthesisers and electronic keyboards to try to create an atmospheric mediaeval-themed album were too obvious. To his credit main man Eöl must have realised that if his project was to be taken seriously, it had to be more than just himself surrounded by keyboards; after several other recordings this tenth album now sees Elffor expanded to a full group with an additional vocalist, a full-time drummer and two other guitarists. The result is a much better and harder sound, a style of music that is equal parts BM and dark atmospheric, and an album that is much more enjoyable for its energy. The drama that results feels like real drama coming from the music itself, and not something forced and artificial.

There are just four tracks, all quite long and one clocking in at over 15 minutes in length, and all quite varied. What is noticeable here is that the band does not rely on listeners having prior knowledge of what mediaeval or folk music of the past might sound like but derive the feeling of the past from its own musical arrangements and compositions: a big tick of approval is in order here. True, the synths are still being pounded heavily for that misty atmospheric touch, and a heavy-handed touch it can be with too much of that warm wash stuff in the background for my liking, making the music less sharp than it should be. Hopefully though Elffor is working its way towards lessening and maybe even ditching the keyboards altogether and replacing them with some original folk or mediaeval instrumentation for a much more raw style which I think suits the band and its aims much more.

Some excellent musical passages are present, in particular the instrumental parts of the title track which feature some field recordings, a piano and an unforgettable melancholic melody redolent with nostalgia and longing for a long-ago romantic and heroic past. Constant repetition does threaten to mar the effect of the title piece and later parts of it do sounds a bit schmaltzy. Good old straightforward black metal guitars and drumming come to the rescue to ensure the track doesn't completely fall down the rabbit hole of sentimentality.

The lyrics are delivered in Basque which makes the album and the band much less accessible to an audience beyond Spain or even beyond its home region in Spain. Basque is not an easy language for outsiders to learn so the band's decision to sing in Basque may have been a risky one that the musicians believed was necessary to get their message over. This of course means that the actual music itself must be the main attraction for us non-Basque speakers. The vocals become just another element in the music but at least they are heartfelt and seem genuinely anguished.

Most of the time the musicians get the balance of dark ambient and black metal right and the result is a much more intense and emotional work that better represents the band's aims and the members' feelings about the things they write about. The music has a raw edge and energy, and there is plenty of room for even more sharpness, drama and enthusiasm. The band successfully avoids bombast which could have been a big temptation. There is a bit too much repetition in the latter half of the album and maybe some sharing out of the songwriting and composition duties might be in order so that each band member has more of a stake in creating original work. But on the whole this is quite a good album working on a path towards a more original style of heroic ambient BM.