Ellende never stops.
Created in Austria in 2011 by L.G. (all instruments/vocals), the band is accompanied by P.F. (Norikum, Nekrodeus) on drums, but also D. B. (guitar), L. B. (guitar, Nokrium) and S.L. (bass, Black Yen, Nekrodeus) on live. In 2022, AOP Records announced the release of Ellenbogengesellschaft, their fourth album.
The album begins with Ich bin, a melancholic introduction which gently takes us back into the dark and sad atmosphere Ellende perfectly handles before welcoming a rhythmic beginning and some strikes which drives us to darkness with Unsterblich, an intense track that links abrasive saturation and soaring leads. The master’s raw screams perfectly blend with his intense and gripping riffs, but they also give way to mystical choruses under a soft rhythmic. The explosion of rage will quickly follow, leading us to Ruhelos where the musician welcomes J.J. (Harakiri For The Sky, Karg) to increase the intensity by mixing the vocalist’s other projects, coupled with the band’s tones. The vocal duo is simply incredible, and the unexpected arrival of the angelic choirs creates a majestic contrast before Hand aufs Herz comes to grab us by the throat with its sharp harmonics and old school patterns, which fit perfectly with their heady sound. Once again, we feel a growing intensity until this clean sounding softer break, but some lead parts resurface with a more powerful sound to drive us to this devastating saturation which feeds the haunting rhythmic. The calmer final slowly leads us to Someday, a track which brings melancholy to life again with soothing clean tones and some choirs before screams and saturation resurface before the end, letting Freier Fall follows with similar sounds to this soft quietness which gradually guides us to raw rage and rocky vocals. One will notice the ease with which the band manages to accelerate from majestic slowness before letting Abschied unveil frantic riffs topped by impressive keyboards. The rhythmic will sometimes be brought to slow down, but it will never decrease, letting the vocalist bring his raw touch to quieter elements or in opposite to an aggressive rhythmic before Verletzlich comes to close the album with its as melodious as dissonant sounds, its heavy choruses and its darker flights, like the vocal sample, allowing the musician to offer us a heavy but soaring final.
Anyone who knows Ellende knows what his creator is capable of. Melancholy, darkness, intensity, raw sounds and soaring tones, that’s what Ellenbogengesellschaft is made of, and everything beautifully melts from the beginning to the end.
95/100