Elderstag
Artist: Elderstag
Genre: Metal
Record Label: Independent
Release Date: 13 January 2025
Elderstag is a Lisbon-based band formed in 2024, featuring four members: Tiago Oliveira on vocals and bass, João Pedro Carmo and Gonçalo Assunção on guitars, and Diogo Belo on drums.
They released their self-titled debut album on January 13, 2025, and, even seven months later, Metal Junkbox wanted to review this work by the Lisbon quartet. For those familiar with Portuguese underground music, this combination of members was already mouth-watering. Having played in bands like The
Chapter, Fonte, Diabolical Mental State, and Voidust put together an album with 9 tracks and a 43-minute runtime that will delight fans of Heavy Metal, Stoner, and Progressive, who will be delighted by this fusion of flavours. Yes, we just made a gastronomic analogy in a music album review, but when it comes to new experiences, be it in a restaurant, on a trip, or at a concert, the words are always the same.
So, speaking of this experience. Speaking for myself personally, I listened to the nine chapters of this story in three different settings, which allowed me to better evaluate this album. In all three settings, I came to the same conclusion: we are dealing with an album that manages to transform intensity and melody into calm in just a few seconds, and everything sounds so natural and spectacularly good. It reveals influences from heavy metal, progressive, stoner, and I could even say hardcore. If I had to name bands, I would say Baroness, Mastodon, Crowbar, and we’d also venture to say Metallica, Megadeth, and Opeth.
Tiago Oliveira, at many points, reminded me of a cross between James Hetfield and Mike Akerfeldt, in the way he sings, the gutturals are very well-used, and the bass is also quite audible. João Pedro and Gonçalo’s guitars are fabulous and super harmonious, with very impactful riffs and very good solos. I loved the final solo of the song “The Grand Transformation,” which is complemented by Diogo Belo’s masterful drumming, which we’ve become accustomed to.
Elderstag’s self-titled album is, as mentioned earlier, a nine-chapter story that tells the dystopian tale of human transformation into animals. It’s certainly the first book of many more that they will present to us. We are dealing with one of the best bands of its kind in the Portuguese underground, and fans of genres like Progressive Metal, Heavy Metal, and Stoner will certainly be quite satisfied after listening to this album.
For us, the standout songs are “Dehumanized” (personally my favourite), “King of Yourself,” “The Grand Transformation” (the first single, which has a music video on Elderstag’s official YouTube page), and “The Shepherd.” However, the album is extremely consistent and maintains the same atmosphere from beginning to end.
For those who haven’t yet had the opportunity to see this Portuguese band, I recommend following them on social media and keeping an eye out for upcoming concerts, which you certainly won’t want to miss.
Metal Junkbox also expresses its desire to interview this band and learn about this quartet’s future projects, which, in our opinion, have the potential to be exciting.