Shrouded in an aura suitable for a band hailing from the mythical and legendary Greece, THE ELYSIAN FIELDS dwell on the misanthropic and the heroic. Tales of ancient struggles and bitter conflicts dominate their sound, which relies heavily on extreme tempo changes, ripping melodic guitars and ancient orchestral touches with the use of violins and piano. THE ELYSIAN FIELDS certainly sound like no-one else, alternating between hate-filled blast passages and mood driven reflective moments. The determination of the band can be judged by their rise from the obscure Greek metal scene, firstly with the obligatory demos and then with the release of their debut album, �Adelain� through a small local label in 1995. their musical abilities became evident through a compact combination of melody and aggressiveness. In 1998 they signed a deal with the British based label Wicked World/Earache, releasing their second album entitled �We�the enlightened�. Once again the main elements of their music, melody and violence, surfaced in a more matured way proving that the band is a driving force in the contemporary death metal scene. In the late 2000 the band left Wicked World/Earache on mutual agreement since they were dissatisfied from the label�s support and abilities for future co-operation. So finally in 2001 a pact with the Greek label BLACK LOTUS RECORDS was signed and the band entered the infamous Praxis studio to complete the recordings and mixing of their third opus entitled �12 Ablaze�. Fast rhythms, attack-mode guitars and screaming vocals blend with orchestral sounds and romantic piano parts and violins. The melody takes over riding the black horse of violence and completely annihilating everything in it�s path! This is the perfect formula of extreme aggression, romantic melancholy and epic, mythical atmosphere! The 12 are certainly on fire... (bio taken from website) Since this band was on the Earache label I expected something really brutal. After listening to some of the songs I came to the conclusion that this isn't as extreme as I thought it would be. Still there are some nice parts where the music slows down and the keyboard is playing solo, drums kick in and the song continues again. The guitar is nice, not awesome or something, there are nice songs on this album (Ablazing 12, The Entreaty Usnung, As The Light Disappears). I really like the fast parts where the double bass kicks in, guitar is out of control and the grunting is from the toes. It's just too bad there is nothing really special that makes it worth to keep listening the album, except the keybord ,which is a usefull addition. I do hear that there is much to do with this band, would be way better if the speed was higher... maybe the next album, we'll wait. The Elysian Fields is: Michael K. (Vocals) Bill A. (Drums) Marinos A. (Bass) Tracklisting: 1. Enshield My Hate Eternal 2. Of Dawns, Perished Tranquility 3. Rapture And The Mourning Virtue 4. Weak We Stand Before Them 5. Ablazing 12 6. A Serenade Like Blood Caress 7. Even If I Could Forgive 8. The Entreaty Usnung 9. As The Light Disappears