Ea
Au Ellai


4.5
superb

Review

by Crimson USER (60 Reviews)
June 22nd, 2010 | 38 replies


Release Date: 2010 | Tracklist

Review Summary: Intentionally obscure, hopelessly bleak, beautifully desolate.

If you’ve heard anything about the Russian doom metal band EA, then like everyone else, you know nothing about them. Au Ellai is their third release and there are still no signs of any glimpse of the members revealing themselves. There’s nothing here to focus on except the music itself, and for other bands that might be a bad thing, but when the music is as all-consuming and empowering as it is on Au Ellai, then it only helps add to the mystique and aura that this monolith of an album provides.

There’s just something captivating about the essence of Au Ellai. The way it imposes its way into your head while still being sombre in its way of pushing into your subconscious is a paradox that just seems to work somehow without ever really being thought out, or really attempted at by the band. There’s no sense of trying too hard, everything just comes about naturally. The music is built around layers that all come together to provide this crushing wall of sound. It’s raw while still sounding amazing, you might believe that it was recorded in the rooms of an abandoned building because of the intensity of the atmosphere were everything not so beautifully put together. Piano melodies float beautifully above guttural growls and dominant guitars, and cymbals crash powerfully around the blissful keyboards. While being undeniably metal, the music is arranged in a way that relates to classical, and the way the guitar’s pave their way through one lead melody and another while piano’s fade in and out with beautiful orchestrations only expands upon this. While the music is always impressive, it is the atmosphere and arrangements that dominate this release; the music just flows and develops in an outstanding way.

In Taela Mu, there is a moment around the halfway mark where the song just explodes with no obvious change in dynamics, or tempo. After several minutes of the guitar playing this slow, classical melody over the top of a simply engrossing synth line, it alters and twists into something more perverse, and the synths stop. A hauntingly beautiful piano melody begins dancing around in the background while the drumming become heavy and substantial, and the voice of it all; a lifeless, bestial growl completely gives way to the melodies. The atmosphere has changed, the song has developed and grown, but it’s all completely unnoticeable why on first hearing.

And moments like these just carry on appearing throughout every minute of Au Ellai’s impressive length. EA have such a tight grasp on their art that despite the music being based on ‘unknown texts of ancient civilisations’ it has a meaning, it has a mood and an atmosphere that isn’t built on words or purposeful sentences. No one will ever actually understand what it all means, but everyone can understand the cold, hard gripping feeling of pure desolation. At times glimmers of hope or reprieval shine through, but not only are these moments rare, they are crushed without fail by the sheer weight of this release. Au Ellai is just the essence of funeral doom metal, and EA are masters of song arrangement. A work of art which will never be heard or talked about beyond a tiny cult following, and quite frankly, that’s exactly where it belongs.



Recent reviews by this author
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user ratings (63)
3.9
excellent


Comments:Add a Comment 
Crimson
June 22nd 2010


1937 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

here was me thinking i stopped listening to metal. and stopped reviewing, for that matter.

TheSpirit
Emeritus
June 22nd 2010


30304 Comments


Zoo will be very happy you reviewed this.

Relinquished
June 22nd 2010


48953 Comments


^ Was just thinking that. Album rules, one of the top albums of 2010 so far.

TheSpirit
Emeritus
June 23rd 2010


30304 Comments


yeah it's pretty great

Mordecai.
June 23rd 2010


8409 Comments


i know guuys... i know

FelixCulpa
June 23rd 2010


1243 Comments


Ea sports, it's in the game.

Motiv3
June 23rd 2010


9175 Comments


great review, funeral doom isnt totally my thing but i may try this.

Mordecai.
June 23rd 2010


8409 Comments


no u won't

ShadowRemains
June 23rd 2010


28045 Comments


holy shit its a crimson review

great review

Dryden
June 23rd 2010


13585 Comments


i dunnununo

DDconjoined
June 23rd 2010


346 Comments


awesome as usual. great album also

Blindsided
June 23rd 2010


1871 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Album is good.

Thanntos
June 23rd 2010


361 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Damn you crim, was in process of writing a review for this, to be my first

Crimson
June 23rd 2010


1937 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

ahhah, cockblocked your reviewing virginity. sorreh.

BallsToTheWall
June 23rd 2010


51562 Comments


One of these songs is amazingly epic. I compare this review to a black forest cake with myself as a fatso.

Thanntos
June 23rd 2010


361 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Was gonna be same rating. You did a great job of describing it though.

Perhaps ill still submit mine later on down the road.

Zoo
June 23rd 2010


3759 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

FUCKING CRIMSON!



Welcome back bro and what a grand fucking entrance you made with this review. First Grant and now you, it's like a family reunion up in this bitch, feels good.

jingledeath
June 23rd 2010


7100 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Good to see you're still around man. Great review and album.

SCREAM!
June 23rd 2010


15755 Comments


YES! A CRIMSON GUITAR SOLO!

....

i mean review

Ire
June 23rd 2010


41944 Comments


holy shit it's Crysis!



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