02 August 2021 - 0 Comments
Christchurch progressive rock band Elidi was formed in 2016 by Troy Cameron, Richie Jehan, and Steve Howden. Soon after they began to write a collection of early songs, they put out the call for a vocalist to match the progressive direction they were headed in, and Dan Russell joined to complete the initial line-up. In early 2018 Elidi – with the guidance of Tom Larkin, producer Samuel K Sproull, and engineer Jon Grace – undertook the production and recording of their SIN EP. The result was a collection of dark, cerebral, and relentlessly heavy tracks which are influenced by bands such as Tool, Karnivool, Tesseract, and Deftones.
Elidi became a quintet in 2020 with the addition of Jack Orr, who brings fresh ideas into the mix. The first result of that collaboration was the recording of Witches’ Brew earlier this year, which saw them hit #16 on the NZ hot single charts. A review in www.muzic.net.nz said “They describe themselves as progressive..in its truest sense, which is blending together different styles and types of music into something which refuses to sit sedately within any particular sub-genre and instead goes wherever it leads, being taken on a journey in the same way as the listener… Tool are an obvious influence, while Disturbed, Black Sabbath, Karnivool, System of a Down, Meshuggah and many others get thrown into the cauldron of the Witches Brew, and if this is what the single is like I can’t wait for a full album.”
Elidi are now in the process of writing their first full length album, and their mission is to push their sound even further and serve as a mirror to the world they see with what they create. The times we live in call for a sonic representation that is as fierce and complex as they are. They recently completed a full NZ tour with psychedelic rock legends Stonehurst, and the reviewer in Auckland said “when they launched into Witches Brew it was incredibly dramatic, powerful and progressive. The music had a spell on much of the audience, Dan obviously in its thrall and twisting and moving in a way that at times made me think of Fish or Pete Garrett. The dynamics within the music were providing contrast and space, allowing the band to get even heavier and then for the vocals to just rip even higher.”
To celebrate the success of the single and the tour, Elidi will be headlining a one-off show at 12 Bar in Christchurch. (342 St Asaph Street) on Saturday 18th September 2021. Tickets are $15+ booking fee from Cosmic Ticketing (https://www.cosmicticketing.co.nz/event/6450). Support bands on the night will be fellow prog rockers Inexile, Sloth Moth and instrumental wonders Distance
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