Style: stoner metal, psychedelic rock, progressive rock (clean vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Baroness, Weedpecker, Khan
Country: United States (originated), Germany (current)
Release date: 29 May 2026

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In the world of intellectual property, there’s a phenomenon called genericide. Aside from sounding totally metal, it describes when a particular brand name is so successful that it loses trademark protection because it has become the common, everyday name for something. Historically, brand names like Aspirin, Thermos, and Cellophane have fallen victim to genericide and lost their trademarks—and today, Rollerblade and Kleenex are commonly brought up as candidates. (How often do you hear someone say Rollerblades when referring to inline skates?)

If music had this same phenomenon, surely Elder would be at risk: they’re tied so inextricably to a particular style of heavy, progressive, psychedelic music that they’ve essentially become synonymous with it. They own this niche, and the music of every other band occupying the space triggers the inevitable comment, “Oh, sounds like Elder.” Indeed, any time a stoner metal album with a hazy atmosphere comes across our desk here at The Subway, Elder are cited immediately as a comparison. Might as well name the style after them and be done with it. For well over a decade, these guys have been the stick against which all stylistic peers are measured, and their latest masterpiece, Through Zero, will do absolutely nothing to change that.

Although always within the bounds of their recognizable style, Elder have emphasized different sonic qualities across their career: heavy, desert-tinged grit in Dead Roots Stirring, ethereal atmospherics in Reflections of a Floating World, and a vintage, jammy feel in The Gold & Silver Sessions, to name a few. Through Zero takes the best of the band’s varying focuses and wraps them into a single work, or even a single track. “Capture/Release” starts with retro, almost dancy synth and guitar interplay until an absolute unit of a riff rips the song wide open—the massive low end propels a wave of heavy fuzz guaranteed to make the face scrunch. From there, ever-shifting phrases and harmonized melodies lead to a bridge built atop a rolling rhythm section, offering spacey guitar–synth collaboration until the same huge riff storms in and razes the bridge. The song ultimately ends with an ingenious use of tambourine accenting bouncy guitars, until an isolated guitar and a couple of final punches mark the end of what might be the best song in Elder’s discography. The instrumental “Sight Unseen” is similarly dynamic, moving from sleepy ambience and cathartic, soft guitars to jungly psychedelia, progressive riffing, and some of the band’s heaviest stoner metal to date. Despite being a chronic instrumental-track-skipper, I find myself unshakably engaged. 

Countless qualities make Elder the undisputed leaders of their genre. Whether it’s their unmatched ability to craft captivating soundscapes, their ear for creatively stringing melodies together, or straight heat in the riffs department, all are on display in Through Zero. But, to me at least, what makes the band remarkable is the sense of adventure in their music. It’s impossible not to be drawn in by the subdued, epic verse of the title track, and the subsequent trek through different textures is completely enthralling. The band are never content to stay in one place for long, yet every transition is seamless and natural without being predictable; every section leads down an exciting new path. Take how well the dreamy synth bridge in the latter half of “Sigil to Ruin” sits between two heavier passages, or how a perfect run of triplets connects the lush guitar solo to a fat mid-paced groove eight minutes into “Strata.” Few artists can move through so much sonic space with such coherence.  

Superlatives aside, above all else, Through Zero is an Elder album. Longtime fans won’t find much new or unexpected, which isn’t an issue at all from a band that has been so consistently great over the years. Refinement can be just as satisfying as innovation. If I had to pick where Through Zero most stands out from the group’s prior work, though, it’s in the rhythm section. The bass tone and performance are the best of the band’s catalog, and the connection between the bass and drums is invariably impeccable. The vocals from band leader and multi-instrumentalist Nicholas DiSalvo, on the other hand, remain serviceable—maybe slightly improved. DiSalvo’s pipes might never provide standout moments, but they never take away from the music, either. Even as the central focus at the beginning of the smooth and relatively short “Blighted Age,” the vocals manage to fit in perfectly fine. Besides, I’m too entranced by the man’s guitar and synth performances to care much anyway. 

Trademarked or not, Elder have developed a style that has come to embody a modern iteration of heavy, psychedelic music. Through Zero epitomizes this style and further proves that, though many have joined in, the band truly have no match. It’s simply hard to imagine a much better display of craftsmanship in the genre—no one else can quite equal this level of dynamic songwriting, atmosphere, or the epic scope of it all. Elder have set the standard for years, and with Through Zero they’ve only reinforced their standing.

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Recommended tracks: Capture/Release, Strata
You may also like: Bask, Howling Giant, Vokonis
Final verdict: 8.5/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram

Label: Blues Funeral Recordings (North America), Stickman Records (Europe), Birds Robe (Australia)

Elder are:
– Nicholas DiSalvo (guitars, vocals, synths)
– Jack Donovan (bass)
– Michael Risberg (guitars, Rhodes piano)
– Georg Edert (drums)