Elysion – Someplace Better (2014)

Having waited five years for this release, we can say that the wait was well worth it. Elysion returns with “Someplace Better”, their sophomore release. With their straight up Gothic Metal sound, they managed to captivate us with their first release and with this album we continue to be under their spell. Delivering 11 tracks of masterfully crafted music, this release is one hell of a rollercoaster ride.

Opening with the explosive “Made of Lies”, we instantly get our dose of Christianna’s angelic vocals and the band’s mellow atmospheric elements. With powerful riffs and catchy chorus sections, songs like “Someplace Better”, “Fairytale”, and “Our Fate” showcase the band’s ability to craft very traditional Gothic Metal song structures that will appeal any fan of the genre. Our favorite songs are more in the ‘power ballad’ category like the haunting “The Promise” and “Transparent”.

The band’s usage of electronic elements here and there gives them an edge similar to bands like Nemesea, and makes up for very enjoyable tracks like “What Lies Beneath” and “In Despair”. For us that like more traditional and powerful Gothic Metal, “Breakfree” is a perfect example of the band’s traditional approach to the genre in some of their songs. Closing with the exhilarating “Changing”, the band truly delivered the goods on this one.

As a whole, “Someplace Better” is one hell of a powerful and well-crafted Gothic Metal release. If you like the band’s first album, with this one they tweak their sound to be more expansive and engaging. With most tracks being suitable to be singles, we can’t help but completely recommend this release for any fan of the genre that is tired of all bands sounding like Epica and Within Temptation.

Label: Massacre Records

Release: January 24th, 2014

Genre: Gothic Metal

Country: Greece