Elenium
Caught In A Wheel

An evocative use of keyboards, a growl sometimes malevolent, sometimes hardcore, powerful, sharp riffs, and the John Petrucci of Finland...

Put all of this together, and you have Elenium. Good premises, good result. The technical abilities of the entire group are truly excellent. The two guitarists indulge in powerful and massive riffing and in truly excellent virtuosity. Besides being very technical, the two also have a great ear for musicality; often good technique is synonymous with coldness, but not in their case, every chord drags the listener into a river of emotions. Jhoannes Salo on the keyboard creates excellent foundations that are sometimes darker, other times sweet and carefree. In the solo parts, he appears simple but emotional, occasionally indulging in some Jazz touches. Anyone immersed in the atmospheres he creates will be caught in a whirlwind of sensations. The rhythm section composed of bass and drums has a very full sound and is well highlighted by the production. Some bass breaks by Tuomo Raisanen are truly pleasant, while Hansi Allio behind the drums has a straightforward task, but he executes it excellently, with good use of creativity, especially concerning the cymbals. Jukka Pelkonen on the microphone proves to be extremely versatile and adapts his voice to the music around him; he can shift from a catacombal growl, to a classic one, to a typically hardcore shout, to a scream.

The album overall is really good and contains some real gems, such as: "Challenger Of Gravity" where the two guitarists show off their technique with a truly dazzling solo, "Twelve" where, unlike the previous song, the guitar duo delivers a less technical but truly heartfelt and emotional solo, accompanied by great work from Salo on the keyboard, and finally "Eyes Grow Colder", a track where the bass is more prominent and has the opportunity to delight the listener with its warm and emotional sound.

If all the songs were on the level of these three, we would be looking at one of the best works in many years; unfortunately, the inconsistency is the flaw of this album. To small gems are opposed tracks always of a good level but not worthy of particular note, and this precludes the album from an excellent rating. In any case, for fans of the genre, a listen to this work is recommended.