Chugging bass and manically metal guitar riffs make up the aggressive assault that is Elysion Fields. Formed in 2008, the musicians have been delivering a brand of hardcore/metal that akin to bands like Between the Buried and Me, As I Lay Dying, and A Girl, A Gun, A Ghost.
In December of 2009 the band released a new EP, a self-titled set of six songs full of throaty vocals and dark sounds.
Opening the album up with a burst of screams and tremulous guitar, Elysion Fields wastes no time diving into the grating, grinding sound of front man Tim Sheridan’s agitated vocals and the rest of the bands aggressive accompaniment. As intense and attention grabbing as the more vicious vocals are, we found ourselves preferring the alleviation from such sounds in the form of the spoken shout given in “Legends” and back up vocals delivered in tracks like “Breathe in Solace”. We particularly liked the contrast between the calm, melodic chorus and quick rolls of percussion in the latter of the two.
Lyrical contributions to the EP include lines like, “You spineless cutthroat you’ll spit us all out and let our bodies bleed dry. And let our bodies bleed dry, just a tool for a massacre you’ve developed into/Your thirst for blood will forever be unquenched/Until you’ve sucked the life out of every one you know.” In “The Forerunner” and “Look beyond the lies they’re preaching what a wicked web they weave/Breathe in new life; realization We must ascend understanding” from “The End in Sight”, showing a variation between songs full of resentment and ones full of hope in the bands writing.
Note also has to be taken of the rapid guitar riffs found in “Retribution”, who’s double time pace take on an almost digital sound in their speedy delivery, give the pulsating percussion a serious run for its money.
Abundant with breakdowns and the most mercurial of metal styles, Elysion Fields is an excellent example of the potential that lies within this relatively new band.
Elysion Fields is available at:
iTunes
Big Cartel
Guitarist Josh Woods took some time out of his busy schedule melting faces to talk to us about his favorite local bands, best band moment, and what is next for Elysion Fields.
Reviewsic: What has the band been up to lately?
Josh Woods: We have recently been putting a huge emphasis on promotion in all aspects-online, offline, virally…we handed out over 1000 flyers this weekend alone in Chicago and Milwaukee with free links to our music. It was super rewarding just to see people there that heard of us and we even ran into one guy in Chicago who actually saw us when we played in Davenport, IA and he was raving about how much he liked us which was amazing! We’re also trying to find management/booking help so we can bring our music to the next level and start shipping our stuff to prospective labels.
Reviewsic: What are your top three musical influences?
Josh Woods: We all have a lot of personal influences but when it comes down to the band itself, I would have to say that recently we have adopted a mentality of As I Lay Dying, August Burns Red and as crazy as it may sound, Michael Jackson. I say As I Lay Dying and August Burns Red because I believe that they both have been able to keep their sound and evolve from record to record and at the same time have been able to make music that was relevant and kept furthering themselves as musicians. As for Michael Jackson,
I recently did a study on the music industry and his album Thriller struck me as an amazing feat of artistry in the fact that there were so many good songs on that album that became incredible hits which is of course what we strive to do when we’re in the writing process.
Reviewsic: What’s the backstory on how the band came to be what it is today?
Josh Woods: A quick synopsis of the history of the band is I contacted Scotty and we both just started writing and hammered out a lot of songs very quickly. He knew Jason from some previous bands he was in so we brought Jason in after working with a couple other drummers that did not work out for us. Tim was the latest member of the band added…once his previous band broke up, we snagged him and have been a happy family since…except we’re currently missing a member of the family and that is a bassist as ours recently left…but we are looking and waiting for the right person to come along. As for how we came to be what we are today…we give all the credit to the fans. Sure we can sit here and sit and beg people to listen to our music and give it a chance…but the fans soak it all up, give us feedback and then spread the word to their friends EVERY time…it is amazing to see how effective they are at spreading the word!
Reviewsic: Is there any instrument you don’t play, but wish you did?
Josh Woods: I always wanted to play the piano but just could never get my hands to work right…also the violin, it is such a beautiful instrument.
Reviewsic: What are the last three albums or bands you listened to?
Josh Woods: Periphery, A Day To Remember, Circa Survive
Reviewsic: If you could work with one person in the music industry (musician, label, producer etc), who would it be and why? Josh Woods: Adam Dutkiewicz of Killswitch Engage…from all the videos I have seen as well as talking with him in person, he is such a genuine dude and is such a perfectionist, much like us, so I think it would be a match made in heaven! 
Reviewsic:Who was the first band/musician you saw live? Josh Woods: Ummm…well I’m sure there was some local shows that were my first ever but I can’t really remember…then it was Lollapalooza and after that it was Slipknot which was a pretty intense show despite all the crap they get from people.
Reviewsic: Who are three of your favorite local bands?
Josh Woods: From All Within (RIP), Dr Manhattan and Ghost…they are all good friends of ours and we always love hanging out with them all!
Reviewsic: If you could book a tour with any 3 bands, past or present, who would they be and why?
Josh Woods: A Day To Remember, Killswitch Engage and As I Lay Dying…all of those bands are current of course BUT I think with those 3 bands on tour, the world would self implode…easily.
Reviewsic: Tell us about the album - is there a particular creative direction behind it? What was the process of putting it together like for you?
Josh Woods: The album is a culmination of what we have learned together as a band since we first started in 2008. We have all been through hard times and crazy times out on the road so we kind of looked to that for inspiration. The process was very hectic…we wanted it released on a certain day so of course…we waited until the last second to record and thus put ourselves on a super tight schedule but in the end, it was all worth it. The EP release show was AMAZING to say the least…so many people there and so many people coming up to us afterwards and comparing us to their favorite bands and basically just making us all feel super warm inside.
Reviewsic: How would you compare yourselves as musicians at this point as opposed to when you first began playing?
Josh Woods: We are all more mature I would say. There were a lot of things that we just could not do back then and since starting have practiced our butts off and now are going crazy and experimenting all over the place with what we can accomplish with our music!
Reviewsic: What are some of your favorite cities/venues to play?
Josh Woods: We LOVE playing home shows…those are always a blast but so far Ohio has been like a second home for us…every time we go out there it is nothing but love and we cannot express how happy that makes all of us.
Reviewsic: What is your best and worst band moment thus far?
Josh Woods: We have dealt with members coming and going which is certainly the worst part…especially after being in the band with certain people for a while it becomes harder and harder but sometimes to go separate ways is for the best of the band. As for the best moment…I would have to say our EP Release show as well as being able to play at the Metro twice now has been truly humbling experiences.
Reviewsic: If Hollywood were to make a biopic about your band, who would be cast as each of you?
Josh Woods: Eddie Murphy…as all of us. I think he’s done something like that before but never with a metal band! Hit us up if you’re interested Eddie!
Reviewsic: What are your plans for your music in the next year?
Josh Woods: We are currently working on writing our next EP, which we are looking to go crazy with. We’re also asking fans to help us with the writing process and are going to be posting up videos showing what we have been working on and having them provide feedback on the areas that need work, what they like most and what just plain sucks. So we’re definitely experimenting with that…
We’re also working right now on unleashing a little campaign called “I am in Elysion Fields…”—it is basically us letting EVERYONE know that when they support us, they are essentially joining the band because without them, we will wither and become irrelevant and no one wants that to happen right?!
Like I stated before, we really want to form some relationships with management and booking agencies so that we can start taking this to the next level and possibly start shipping our music to labels. We really just want to get out there and give our music to people who have never heard of us before…there are so many of them and we truly believe that we have an experience that many fans of the metal genre are waiting for.
Tags: Album Review, Interview, Local Music, New Release
