Elenium
Promo 99

October 2000
Released: 1999, Independent
Rating: 2.5/5
Reviewer: Rick

This is going to be one of the shortest reviews that I have ever done. I hate doing short reviews as I don’t feel that they tell enough about the band but this time I have no choice. The CD is only 2 songs which clock in at a little over 8 minutes. Elenium was formed in 1995 in Finland and its members are Jukka Pelkonen: vocals, Johannes Salo: keyboards, Tommi Leinonen: guitars, Mikko Niemela: drums and Tuomo Raisanen: bass. The band plays a style of metal akin to the melodic death metal of the Gothenburg style mixed liberally with Children of Bodom's blackened power metal. They have toured around their native Finland opening for the likes of Gandalf, Soulgrind and Children of Bodom. Promo 99 opens with the track "Existence". The band uses keyboards and black metal vocals as a contrasting point to the death metal vocals. The keyboards fit the song perfectly and blend with the great drumming of Niemela to create a very interesting tune. "What Dreams May End" is the second of the tunes. This song is more dynamic overall and like "Existence" uses keyboards to a great extent. Salo knows his way around his instrument and makes the keys blend perfectly with the other instruments.



Elenium are definitely trying to stake out their own sound. Salo is a talented keysman who gives Elenium a distinct sound. The have 15 new songs ready that they are just waiting to record. With any luck they will have a new CD out in the near future and a wider audience for their music.