ELSESPHERE - BLIND LEADING THE BLIND - 2002

Drummer Mikael Kvist founded ELSESPHERE in 1995 in Stockholm. Soon he found guitarist Mikael Bergemalm, with whom he set the foundation for ELSESPHERE. Their goal had been to create complex music without setting melodies and feeling aside. Also to incorporate foreign genres into the overall sound to broaden their own musical horizon.

The first album is called "Blind Leading The Blind" and offers nice Prog Metal, which can be found somewhere between TAD MOROSE, HEXENHAUS and DREAM THEATER, bringing us a very good and at the moment almost unique, because very epic soundscape. Big plus of the band is the powerful lead vocal performance of Jonny "Bix" Berndtsson, who reminds me a bit of Messiah Marcolin and really manages to lift the band from the gros of other frill combos.

Then they have very accessible and thought through choruses, which despite all complexity always form a foundation for the respective song. Maybe many will prematurely denounce this album as show off stuff or musicians-play-for-musicians songs. But with that you would be unjust to the band! Their songs emanate an almost magical flair and they manage the right mix of demand and accessibility. Combined with light Doom tendencies, a few symphonic elements and quite a few keyboard wizardry, on a damn high level. You will need a few rotations, but for this multi faceted album it definitely is worth it!
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