Metalreviews.com will enter next January in its fourth year and we are very proud of the long road traveled so far. At the beginning, we had to contact labels and few of them believed in us. Today, bands contact us directly. It is always an "honor" to receive Cds from unsigned bands and discovering their talent long time before they get signed :)

Elizium is one of these bands. They contact and send us their work, Angel Of Mistrust. Peter Berends (vocals, guitars, samples), Peter Röge (guitar) and Gerard Manoch (drums) started back in 1991. The first two year consisted mainly of line-up changes and playing covers of others bands ... Their first demo was recorded in 1995 (War And Knowledge). In 1996, the band broke up due to some internal affairs. Berends, Röge and Manoch went separate ways (playing in several other bands) but each missed the atmosphere they had in Elizium. After three years, they decided to bring Elizium back to life. In 2003, the recording of Angel of Mistrust (demo-cd) was finished.

I will start with the production : unfortunately, it is below the average demo-cds we usually receive. Far from bad, it is a shame the band didn't "invest" more money in the production as this music really deserve it. If you are a doom metal fan, Elizium got all what it taste to interest you. The vocals of the singer are top-notch (I like the effect made on his voice). Peter Berends knows how to translate melancholic and heavy emotions (Reflecting Eyes). The overall pace of the album is slow and the piano (keyboards) take sometimes the central place in the tapestry of sound. I like the "combination" of the heavy guitar, vocals and the piano. The samples are intelligently integrated in Elizium doom prism.

Rape of Creed and Reflecting Eyes are my favorite tracks. Angel Of Mistrust is may be a bit linear - lake of diversity- but this will be the only complaining. If you like Lake Of Tears - I am thinking of Forever Autumn - and the heaviness of Black Sabbath, I highly recommend you to check this band.

And let's hope labels will jump on this interesting "doomish rocky" :)