Catharsis is the fourth album by Elis, released on 27 November 2009 by Napalm Records. It is the first album with Sandra Schleret (ex-Dreams of Sanity, Siegfried as their new lead singer, the band released in early 2007 the MCD Show Me The Way.

Reception

A Gothic Metal Jewel with the powerful Vocals of Sandra Schleret, the CD contains an cover of Jennifer Rush's "I Come Undone", output of the new album took place in late 2009 on the label, Napalm Records and called the name of 'Catharsis'. Everyone remembers what sorrow has befallen the group few years ago, suddenly died of their original singer Sabine Dünser. The decision to continue the work the team had already looked strange. Dünser was one of the two main personalities in this group, moreover the group existed at the time of the death of Lead singer Dünser few years and some did not enjoy great popularity. Still, guitarist Pete Streit decided to continue.

The album became the first full release with new singer Sandra Schleret, known to us by Dreams of Sanity and Siegfried, well the music develops in the same vein. In the commercial side and intelligible to all gothic-metal with female vocals, a set of tracks on "Catharsis" is not bad. There is also quick hits, and the slow sad songs, of course it is difficult to analyze the music in the light of changing vocalists. Elis did not invent anything, but the singer took, which clearly fits into their concept, at the same professionalism Schleret nobody doubts. Personally, I was even slightly surprised by such a big break in her creative work, the good disc with good vocals and some good tunes. In the opinion, were at Elis and the best work, but this disc does not cause rejection.

Background

The album is include two remakes of the title song, this time with Sandra's voice, the first recordings of the band with their new line-up. The band toured a little during that year and 2008, before announcing that they had entered the studio to record their fourth studio album, the follow-up to their 2006 release, Griefshire. The band spent the rest of 2008 and a part of 2009 recording the new album.

Style

Elis again managed an exciting, varied and above all very independent album, eleven exciting, emotional songs, with gorgeous melodies and a healthy dose of toughness.

Release dates

The digipack version is include an DVD with live Sequences of the Band from the Metal Female Voices Fest 2007.

* 25 November 2009 - Finland, Spain

* 27 November 2009 - Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Benelux, Italy

* 30 November 2009 - Rest of Europe

* 15 December 2009 - USA

* 12 January 2010 - Canada

Credits

*Sandra Schleret – vocals

*Pete Streit – guitar

*Chris Gruber – guitar

*Tom Saxer – bass guitar, death growls

*Max Naescher – drums

* Produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by Alexander Krull.

* Special guest on Warrior's Tale - Michelle Darkness.

* All Music written by Pete Streit except track 5 written by Morrie Elliot Brown and Ellen Shipley, 7 and 8 written by Ellen Shipley, track 10 written bei Simone Dyllong and Maximilian Nascher. All Lyrics and vocal arrangements by Sandra Schleret, except track 5 written by Morrie Elliot Brown and Ellen Shipley. Programming by Elis and produced by Alexander Krull. Recorded, engineered, mixed and mastered by Recorded, engineered, mixed and mastered by Alexander Krull at Mastersound Studios in Steinheim, Germany in 2008/2009.

* Assistant Recording Engineers Mathias Roderer and Thorsten Bauer. Additional Programming and samples by Alexander Krull .

* Cover Artwork photos by Stefan Heilemann and make up by Sylvia Hable.

References

Category:Elis albums

Category:2009 albums

Category:Napalm Records albums

Artist/Band Information

Elis is a gothic metal band from Liechtenstein, formed by Sabine Dünser and Pete Streit in 2003 after the split of Erben der Schöpfung in 2002.

History

God's Silence, Devil's Temptation

Elis began their musical career under the name 'Erben der Schöpfung' in 2000. In 2001, they released their first single "Elis" as well as their debut album Twilight. The band has appeared live at the Wave Gotik Festival in Leipzig, among others, has held on to favorable positioning on the DAC-Charts, and has remained well represented in the scene's press. Germany's Orkus Magazine, for example, featured Erben der Schöpfung as their top newcomer act of the month. This choice was later more than confirmed by the publications readership, who extended the honor by choosing the band as their newcomer of 2001.

Following their split with Oliver Falk, the band re-emerged in 2003 under the new alias Elis (taken from the single/song by their former band). Produced at Mastersound Studio by Alexander Krull (Atrocity, Leaves' Eyes), God's Silence, Devil's Temptation was simultaneously released on Napalm Records with the re-release of Erben der Schöpfung's 2001 debut, Twilight.

Soon after the release of God's Silence, Devil's Temptation, Elis focused their energy on writing new material for their second offering. Between their song writing and recording duties, they found time to tour in a headlining capacity with label mates Eisheilig and The Vision Bleak. The tour took them to Germany, Switzerland, and Belgium. 'God's Silence, Devil's Temptation' was inspired by the works of Trakl and drawing on the experience gained with Erben Der Schopfung, the newly created formation recorded immediately full-length album 'God's Silence, Devil's Temptation'. In January 2004, the disc 'God's Silence, Devil's Temptation' was # 1 in the charts at The Gothicworld.de. The same success has made the single 'For Such A Long Time'.

Dark Clouds in a Perfect Sky

In March 2004 they returned to the studio, under the guidance of band manager and producer Alexander Krull once more, to record the twelve new tracks featured on their second album. Released in October 2004, Dark Clouds in a Perfect Sky, showed a maturation of the band's sound. A video clip for the album's opener, "Der Letzte Tag" (translated to: The Last Day), was included with the release as well. The second CD 'Dark Clouds in a Perfect Sky' caused obvious association with the best works of Within Temptation or The Gathering.

The Dark Clouds tour took place in April 2005. Elis played in Germany, Austria and Belgium, and were supported by Visions of Atlantis and Lyriel. The band offered a preview of the new material during festival performances at the Wave-Gotik-Treffen and M'era Luna Festival. Further opportunities for the fans to experience the new album live were planned for October, as the band embarked on a European Tour with Atrocity, Leaves' Eyes, and Battlelore. This tour ended with a performance at the Metal Female Voices Fest 3. This concert wasn't just the last of this little tour, it also was the last concert with guitarist Jürgen "BigJ" Broger, who left the band amicably soon after. Elis also appeared on a television show on German television, and video appeared in the program of 'Hell's Kitchen' channel Viva!

Griefshire and death of Sabine Dünser

The third release from Elis, a concept album titled Griefshire was planned for release in late 2006 or early 2007. The band wanted to complete a tour with Leaves' Eyes and Atrocity, but unfortunately on July 8, 2006 Sabine died of a cerebral hemorrhage. An announcement on the band's official website a day later stated that the album Griefshire would be released in Sabine's memory. A further announcement in September announced that the band would continue with a new singer.

Griefshire and new female singer

Griefshire was released in Europe on November 24, 2006 on Napalm Records. The North American release date was January 16, 2007. On December 28, 2006 it was finally announced that the new female singer is the Austrian metal singer Sandra Schleret, former vocalist of Dreams of Sanity and Siegfried, and guest singer on some Samael albums.

After that, they started a tour that took them for the first time to Mexico (as guest stars for the Festival Oscuro event in August 2007).

In order to show how Sandra's voice would appear on the next studio album, the band released the MCD Show Me The Way, on November 2, 2007 in Europe and on November 6, 2007 in the U.S., that features Sandra Schleret on the two new versions of the song "Show Me the Way" as well as three non-album tracks from Grieshire's recording sessions, still with Sabine Dünser's voice. November 2, 2007 on the label Napalm Records released a new single of 'Show Me the Way'.

Catharsis and onward

In early 2008, the band posted on their official bandsite that they would be working on their 4th studio album that year. In September 2008 they went to a German Mastersound studio with producer Alex Krull with a new vocalist and recorded participated a song for the album with Michelle Darkness (End Of Green). The band performed a few live shows before entering the studio to record the new album. On November 22, 2008, it was announced that the name of the new album would be Catharsis, a title dear to Sandra Schleret due to the illnesses she went through shortly before joining Elis.

Style

Elis' music style is a very particular one in gothic metal. The influences of their sound come from both symphonic metal and doom metal, as clearly defined on their releases: the songs include most of the times an orchestral part and death grunts at the same time, making it hard to identify the band's true genre.

The lyrics are another important element of Elis' music. Differently from many other gothic metal bands, whose lyrics are heavily influenced by literature, love and death, Elis' lyrics are mainly taken from life and experiences, as well as childhood (specially on the Griefshire album). Most of the song's lyrics are written in English, with two or three songs in German per full-length album and, before Sabine Dünser's death, she was the main songwriter of them. The only two exceptions were Heaven and Hell, a Black Sabbath cover, and In Einem Verlassenen Zimmer, whose lyrics are entirely taken from a poem of the same name by Austrian poet Georg Trakl.

Band members

Current members

*Sandra Schleret – vocals (Since 2006)

*Pete Streit – guitar (Since 2003)

*Chris Gruber – guitar (Since 2005)

*Tom Saxer – bass guitar, death growls (Since 2003)

*Max Naescher – drums (Since 2004)

Touring member

*Trevor - Drums (2009-)

Former members

*Sabine Dünser – vocals (2003–2006)

*Franco "Franky" Koller - drums (2003–2004)

*René Marxer – drums (2004)

*Jürgen "Big J" Broger – guitar (2003–2005)

Discography

Studio albums

* God's Silence, Devil's Temptation (2003)

* Dark Clouds in a Perfect Sky (2004)

* Griefshire (2006)

* Catharsis (2009)

Singles

* "Der Letzte Tag" (2004)

* "Show Me the Way" (2007)

Videos

* "Der Letzte Tag" (2004)

* "Show Me the Way" (2009)