Coridian have spent the last 5 years mapping out a beautiful blend of high energy rock and powerful melancholy tunes across a series of EP’s based around the four elements; water, earth, fire and air. Eldur, the Nordic word for fire, is the third installment in this series, which began with 2015’s Oceanic EP and continued in 2017 with the Caldera EP.
This release, based around the fire element, has plenty of it from the get go with opening track Rite Of Passage cutting in with its sharp guitar tones and vocalist Dity Maharaj’s expertly timed vocals. This guy has some serious pipes and delivers a top-notch performance from start to finish, whether it’s belting out rock solid anthems like lead single The Witness or crooning over the calmer sounds of Lost Heroes.
Speaking of anthems, every single one of the seven songs on offer here will have you singing along in no time and once the final notes of Mantra ring out I bet you’ll find it hard to not give the whole thing another listen. Big choruses are the order of the day here and they come with hooks aplenty from not only the melodic styling of guitarist Mike Raven but also his brothers, bassist Nick Raven and drummer Kris Raven, whose Nordic lineage gives weight to the subject matter of the series of EP’s.
There’s a definitive passion to be found here in the delivery of both the music and the lyrics, and as the previous two EP’s stand as a testament to each of their corresponding elements (Oceanic being compared to a “rough ocean” and the more grounded, solid sounds of Caldera strengthening the bands foundations) Eldur continues this with it’s thoughtful and all-consuming soundscapes.
These guys are getting better and better as the years go on and with one more release in the series, Hava, yet to be released it’s good to see such promise from such a relatively young band.
A REVIEW BY Benjamin Coe
FULL REVIEW