REVIEW section : SHARE
	StonerRock.com by Rob Wrong
		Eternal Elysium is one of those bands that I hear people constantly trying to pass off as a Japanese Stoner Rock band trying to "fit in", or just splicing together classic riffs... which is where I call bullshit. Their latest release "Share" might be spliced together classic riffs on the shell, but within it's a masterpiece of soul, blood, sweat and tears. These guys slayed me with their last release ("Spiritualized D") and came back harder, heavier and more soulful than ever. Their sound is as intense as Orange Goblin at times, and as ripping as Hendrix as far as soul goes...did I mention soul? The music from beginning to end on "Share" travels up and down throughout the whole CD as much as their previous release and taking off right where that one ended as well. The first song "Schizy" kicks you in the nuts and grabs your attention with it's drug/sludge-drenched chugging swing blues riff and completely fuzzed out and over the top guitar tones. The time tempo changes are nice and don't get too far off of the beaten path so the head banging factor remains. Great vocals that remind me of Jack Bruce/Eric Clapton during Cream...very nice and heavy... (also downloadable in the MP3 Jukebox so check it out!) It's quite obvious that these cats are taking classic psychedelic rock and putting a new twist on it, and a unique one at that- The key changes and out of the blue stops are great and make the whole album that much more iteresting. Influenced by Hendrix, Sabbath and other classic greats it's rare when you hear a band taking those great rock standards one step further instead of just beating a dead horse. Fans of bands like Orange Goblin, Monster Magnet alike I think will dig on this record. It's a complicated mix of all that I love and consider great in the Stoner Rock realm- great riffs, great solos, great vocals and harmonies, lyrics and production- this CD has it all. The songwriting is done with perfection, and every song hooks you in like the last...it gets better with every listen and I can't understand why anyone shouldn't like this CD- especially if you liked the first one. It touches all that is rock for me and has just crawled it's way to the top of my list for 2002:) Get it if you like everything from early Santana/Cream to Black Sabbath/Hendrix/Zeppelin. A very classic album right here in 2002. Rock!
	Doom-metal.com by Kevin McHugh
		March 2002 Album of the Month very music junkie has their favorite record label. Perhaps it's Red Stream. Or Peaceville. Or Rise Above. In my case, I think MeteorCity puts out some of the highest quality stoner/doom music on the planet. And no, I don't work for them! Every label release that I can think of is top drawer: Solace, Solarized, the 'I Am Vengeance' soundtrack; they're all good. And now we can add Eternal Elysium's 'Share' to this noble company. Following on the heels of their widely hailed Y2K debut, 'Spiritualized D.', 'Share' is more diverse and gives us a better idea what Eternal Elysium are capable of. The trad. Doom that has put them at the top of Japan's old school (along with Church of Misery) is still much in evidence, but it doesn't stop there. This is one of the most psychedelic doom albums I've ever heard. There's a solid stoner vibe mixed in as well, and some elements that defy classification. 'Schizy' leads off with some hard-charging doom, replete with rhythmic changes and treated vocals. 'Feel the Heat' has an ass-kicking, up-tempo stoner groove, and 'Movements and Vibes' actually enters the realm of funk. But don't worry, it's in a good way, OK? My personal favorite is 'Waiting for the Sun.' At over 9 minutes, it's the longest tune on the album and features a Cathedral-esque lurching doomy blues groove, theatrical vocals, and a guitar that slays, but not before pounding your head repeatedly against ! the nearest flat surface. 'No Answer' features some slide guitar reminiscent of the finest moments on their debut album. Hell, this is some of the best slide phrasing since David Gilmour's work in the 70s! And I can continue the Pink Floyd comparison with 'Fairies Never Sleep,' which has vocals weird enough to bring Roger Waters to mind, at least when he was experimental and interesting. There's plenty of variety to get into with this one, but it's first and foremost a doom album that any old-schooler will love. Fans of anything from Deep Purple to Cathedral to Pink Floyd will dig it. Drop a tab and get bludgeoned.
	HellrideMusic.com by Chris Barnes
		I know I know very little, but I'm pretty certain that Yukito, Toshiaki and Rio smoke pot. In great amounts. And at least one of them has a sizable collection of 70's vinyl. Eternal Elysium triumphantly follow-up their first release, 2000's Spritualized D with a disc chock full of chunky psych-doom riffs and a swirling broth of feedback thick enough to stick a fork in. The production on Share is stellar and a true tribute to Yukito's skills both as a musician and as a producer. The drums crisp, the bass shaking the heavens (as should be!) and the guitar...I dunno how Yukito got that unGodly tone out of this guitar that he did, but he did. It's warm and threatening at the same time...amazing. Musically, Eternal Elysium travel further into the realms of psychedelia and doom. If it doesn't groove, rumble or trip you out, it's not included in these nine songs. And speaking of groove, there's enough full-on 70's groove here to keep any head happy. Each song comes replete with more than one or two incredibly groove-drenched guitar n' rhythm breakdowns to accent some of the best psych/doom riffs I've ever had the pleasure of hearing. And that's a lot of riffs, my Doom sisters and brothers. Of all the tunes on Share, only "Dogma" leaves me scratching my cleanly-shaven pate. Not that this 7:59 minute opus is bad...it's just...weird. It's got this wacky jungle call n' answer thing to it. Reminds me of a Bow-wow-wow song or summat. Not sure if I was ready for that, but God bless 'em for throwing me a loop...
	Heavymetaljesus.com
		Eternal Elysium's last release, "Spiritualized D" is, in my opinion, one of the best records to ever come out of Japan. A large part of that opinion was due to the heavy handed guitar onslaught that comprised much of the disc, something I'd hoped to hear grow on their latest effort, "Share." That in mind, I was initially disappointed in the Japanese trio's newest offering. The heaviness was still there, but it had been filtered through some crazy psychedelic machine, and the former brute force had been supplanted by intricate musicianship. Several listens later, I can't imagine this record any other way - where their first record was designed to bury the listener in sound, "Share" is engineered to drown them in it. The arrangements and soloing are infinitely more complex than the previous release, and the percussion and rhythms are appropriately loose. The vocals, are, unfortunately, a little on the weak side (and sometimes - like the chanting on "Dogma" - downright silly), but the album as a whole is a remarkably dynamic accomplishment. Eternal Elysium has transformed from earth flattening volume worship to kaleidoscopic psych explosion, and "Share" is the intriguing end result, certainly worth hearing. - Score: 6 [A record that you should definitely investigate. Quality stuff from quality bands, this is a solid effort. Although immediately likeable, it may, however, lose its luster with repeat listens... but still kicks the crap out of most releases.]
	Lollipop by Craig Regala
		This is one heavy band. Fully rounded groove to kick ass action with plenty of big whomping blues rock underpinings, rhythmic propulsion and guitar sustain formulated to uphold all sorts of quality standards. Call it stoner rock 'er whatever, but look- this stuff rocks out and pulls back in such an organic way it's hard to say it owes much to anything besides the general "heavy" dynamic from 60's acid psyche-->those 70's hero's --> heavy 80's punk 'n' NWOBHM and whether Faires Wear Boots or Not etc. There are people, (you?) who like a certain aggressive interplay that can manifest itself in different circumstances and styles but gets over in similar ways with similar tools. Thats why Scott Hill from Fu Manchu or the guy from Solace can ramble on about hardcore, or how the the guys in Five Horse Johnson trace back to the aggressive punk to biker metal of the Necros to Big Chief attack and how Scissorfight's singer can claim they're part of the punk lineage. Start with an essential ideal and follow your muse. It's all we can ask of a band, if the answer's like this it's our duty to step up and buy the next round. Eternal Elysium pull on some big goddamn boots to wade through the swirling lava they pour into everything they create. What pray tell is lava but liquid rock? Sometimes they chug metal classique riffage while riding syncopated four on the floor like a Big Thing that just chawed down on AC/DC, Kyuss and BOC recs. Sometimes they sound like what I'd imagine a current "biker band" would be, (tune #2 "feel the beat"). Sometimes they reanimate blues rock's most basic structure and pump it fulla arena roar like the Rollins band ten years ago. Or like when Monster Magnet was carrying on about that "satanic drug thing we all wouldn't understand" on top of BB King's "Rock Me Baby" via that Robin Trower + Black Flag math Wyndorf aced that they just don't teach a whole lot anymore. This is my kinda power trio. Upon third listen, "Share" strikes me as tighter wound than "Spirtualized D", a disc which the wife spun alot around here at the ranch. It's honed without slimming, nothing plods, the boogie swings and the tunes bite right down.Ê They end this with a "psychedelic" treatment as they did previously; heaving a goofus mantric hum of an ambient acappella Butthole Surfers-molest-the-Gyoto-Monks bong blast to say goodbye. Why, an lp of that could be reished on Drag City as the "long lost Music Of Atlantis". I bet it'd sell a ton. I hope this does. It's for anyone who ever got hot over Goatsnake, Sheavy, anything name checked above, Orange Goblin, Mass, Spirit Caravan, Trouble-or Led Zepplin "Destroyer" (Live Richfield Coliseum, Cle. OH 4.27.77) CD #3, "Guitar Solo, Achilles Last Stand, Stairway..., R 'n'R, Trampled Underfoot), all smooshed up on steroids and 'ludes.
	Sea of Tranquility / March 2002Ê Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles #60, June 2002 by Alex S. Johnson
		Nipponese mechagodzillas of crunch Eternal Elysium deliver stoner metal from its relentless recycling of predictable sources. Although much in the way of synapse-gumming neolithic sludge of the old Sabbath school sluices its way through these tracks, it's evident that EE have listened to a fair share of 80s New Wave/Gothic bands from Bauhaus to Go-Gos to B-52s, not to mention garnering tips in funk from titans like Parliament and Sly Stone. It's not every band that can mix a riff salad from the Sab classic "The Wizard" complete with what sounds suspiciously like a kazoo and then chug into wah-wah disco mode before changing courses yet again and slamming some serious Entombed-style old school death metal at ya. These guys have been described as Clapton's Cream gone Satanic, and indeed a whiff of the 60s does rise through the plumes of ganja-fed bass, feedback haze and garage-band guitar plonk, but its in their eclectic fusion of elements no other culture would conceive of joining that EE shows true originality. Share this with your friends. 5/5
	Tangerine Magazine by Glenn Tillman
		Though not as heavy as "Spiritualized D", their first effort for MCY, this is still pretty weighty, with plenty of massive bottom end slabs of granite supporting crisp leads, lethal power chords, and trippy vocals. More melodic, diverse and experimental than their other MCY release, "Share" showcases a band on the rise, growing and maturing to fill out their sound and more fully displaying their variety of talents and skills. "Share" is more of an artistic achievement than a power statement. Eternal Elysium already rocked harder and heavier than almost any band since Black Sabbath, now they are proving they also write intelligent songs and compose intricate soundscapes capable of grabbing your ears and eliciting not only a "whoa, these guys are killer heavy", but also a "man, these guys are great musicians" response as well.Ê There are a few weak spots here and there, with some self indulgent art noise and superfluous group wailing, but not enough to take any points off my scorecard.Ê Eternal Elysium may very well be the next reigning kings of rock royalty, reeling off five or ten stunning tour de force salvos of holy heaviness. Overall, a thoroughly impressive effort that Eternal Elysium and MeteorCity can both be proud of.Ê Two saki-soaked thumbs up!
	Renegade 2K by Joe Florez, March 2002
		Stoner rock has been all the rage again for the past ten years thanks to Kyuss. Once they got the ball rolling, there were bands coming out left and right and just playing music that was bottom heavy. The bass would be tuned down to the lowest possible. What soon happened was burn out in every sense. Nothing original, special or memorable. It was just bottom heavy sludge that bored the living daylights out of a lot of people. I was pretty skeptical to hear this band. Thank God for popping this disc in. The Japanese have upstaged the Americans once again. At least in this case with stoner rock. They have taken the elements that make it what it is: fuzzy guitar sounds, low end bass and driving drum smacks to the skins. The one ingredient that they have added which was missing for a while now is: GROOVE! Yes, you can rock out to this Deep Purple/Sabbath inspired band and not feel tired after hearing it. Schizy is a song that shows the dynamics of what stoner rock is all about! Low and thick bass lines which shake your floors and your stomach as you listen with much glee. The guitars are distorted, yet catchy. The drums are just slamming away but are a little more fast paced. Here is the difference from this Japanese band and American stoner bands: Eternal Elysium adds more groove and speed which will hold your interest longer while the American bands are just slow and boring. On Schizy as well as their other tunes, you will notice the Deep Purple/ Black Sabbath influences, but know that it takes more than their influences to make these guys remain in the minds of stoner fans. Feel The Beat is a tune that does just that. One of the faster songs here have killer guitar riffs that would make any fan of 70's rock jump up and down. Here is one song that will make you either, bang your head, play air guitar/drums or just chill out. What is cool as well is that near the end, they really slow it down to the sluggish of all levels, but pick up again. Yes, they fool you into thinking that they are just another stoner band that has no dynamic range and have no originality. Movements and Vibes is another track that lives up to their title here. You can't help stomping your feet to the beat. Another track with major riffage that is very memorable long the disc is done. Ok, I know that stoner rock is not all about happy riffs and stuff, so on Waiting For The Sun, the band does slow it down quite a bit. Once again, these guys show range diversity showing everyone that not all of your songs on the cd have to sound the same. Adding a little spice to the music is what it's all about here. Eternal Elysium is a group that delivers raw power through their amps, add a little diversity to their music and play it to the maximum. 9/10
	Rickety Old Shack by Derek Hamilton
		When I walked in from school and saw a manilla package on my desk, I wasn't sure what to make of it. I saw the name "Meteor City" on the envelope, so I was naturally assuming that there was some sort of rock and / or roll CD. I pull the CD out of the envelope and I see something about this band being from Japan. Well, even before I threw the CD into my stereo I knew I was in for a ride. I didn't know what kind of ride however... About 10 seconds in, and Eternal Elysium had me hooked. From the time the opening track, "Schizy" ended I was in full-out rock mode. I'd been listening to venomous black metal all week and these three crazy bastards from Japan completely changed my mind around. Since listening to Share I have been running around, telling everyone who will listen about "this kick-ass Japanese rock band". And that's what Eternal Elysium is; a kick-ass rock band. Put the whole Japanese connection out of your mindÑthey don't even sound Japanese. "Yes Derek, music may have no distinct language, but vocals do", you say. Well, Yukito Okazaki sounds anything but Japanese, with a vocal style more similar to 60's-era British pop rock. Some songs, like "Schizy" and "Feel the Beat" heavily rely on echoing vocals, but on "Movements and Vibes and a few other tracks, the vocals are quite clean. In trying to describe the sound of Eternal Elysium, I just keep dropping names of other bands. There are seemingly influences from everyone from The Atomic Bitchwax, Karma to Burn, even Fu Manchu and Kyuss. Still, Eternal Elysium are their own bandÑyou will not confuse them with anyone. I believe the small flyer that came with Share stated "what America creates, Japan improves" and, honestly, I can not sum it up any better than that. Frankly, I find this hilarious; in America, a nation oversaturated with generic, untalented mall metal, three guys from Japan release an album to should be a template for any rock band. This is how you rock, fuckers! Share showcases music that features not only killer groove and catchy lyrics, but the musicianship of each band member is amazingÑthese guys are a very tight three-piece. Each member pulls their weight in this lumbering, rock 'n roll juggernaut. In all honesty, I hope this recordÑand this bandÑmake it big in America. With such talent and well-crafted and radio-friendly songs, Eternal Elysium have got what it takes to explodeinto the mainstream. This is a record that any fan of real, man-made music should enjoy. I probably sound like an ass-kissing whore but, sadly, this is really how I feel about Share. With luck, this will only be a taste of things to come... A five-star effort, for sure.
	Uncle Dan's House of Smut by Dan Rowe
		Like their Japanese counterparts Church Of Misery, Eternal Elysium are among the best Black Sabbath inspired pure doom bands in the world. However, in the case of Eternal Elysium, the sound is less straightforward--they produce a unique and complex sonic tapestry. They wear their influences proudly, combining it all in an original way on this, their second CD, Share. In many instances on this album, the results are nothing short of groundbreaking. As previously stated, Eternal Elysium are a pure doom band in the vein of Black Sabbath--this is the base of their sound. However, to pigeonhole what they do as nothing but Sabbath-worship is to do Eternal Elysium a great disservice. The amount of varied sounds and influences they weave into their base sound on Share is incredible. Track eight, "Dogma", is a prime example of their unique brand of doom. It starts off with what sounds like Native American tribal drums and chanting. When the riffs finally kick in, Eternal Elysium manages to sound all at once reminiscent of vintage Aerosmith, Ted Nugent, and of course Black Sabbath--but never not sounding like themselves. The amazing thing is that throughout all the twists and turns Share throws at you, Eternal Elysium always retains an originality and pure doom sensibility. Nowhere is this more evident than on "Movements and Vibes". This song is the highlight of the album and groundbreaking for the fact it is almost certainly the first ever disco/doom track to exist--and it's great. Imagine Pentagram doing a cover of the KISS foray into disco "I Was Made For Lovin' You" and you'll have a pretty good idea of what "Movements and Vibes" is all about. It is amazingly groovy without sounding like typically stagnate "stoner" rock, while at the same time being undoubtedly doom. An absolute triumph of a song and a new benchmarkin originality for an entire genre. At the end of the day, it all comes back to that Sabbath base, though. The reason pure doom endures while "stoner" rock is consistently disposable is because the best of doom bands are very clear about the fact that the first Black Sabbath album is essentially a blues recording. They recognize and respect that if you can master the blues in its purest, simplest form, there's nothing you can't do musically. Eternal Elysium is one of those bands. They have taken some dangerous chances with many of the influences they chose to introduce into their sound on Share. However, because they have such strong and healthy roots musically, every one of those gambles pays off. Share is an essential educational listen for beginning riff-mongers and a reinvigorating one for rock veterans. In fact, this album is sure to thrill all who just love great music, period--regardless of genre. Score it now.
	Indieville.com
		Eternal Elysium, in case you are not aware, is the Japanese stoner rock outfit responsible for 2000's "Spiritualized D" album. "Share" is their new release, and it completely lives up to expectations. This album is a chaotic masterpiece of metal; it blasts your eardrums with sonic guitarwork, powerful vocals, and vigorous drumming. The pieces vary in length, spanning anywhere from over nine minutes to under three. There are definitely influences here from many classic hard rock bands, including Deep Purple and Black Sabbath, and at times the album even sounds as if it came from that time period. One of the pieces, "Waiting For The Sun," is a nine-minute epic that attacks the listener's ears with rabid, blazing guitars and a bombardment of booming drumwork. Another highpoint on this album is "Love Is All," an explosive track that makes you want to move. Altogether, this release is a powerful blast of pure metal; fans of the stoner rock and doom metal scenes will, without doubt, love this album.
	High Bias by Michael Toland
		On its second album Share, Japan's Eternal Elysium immerses itself happily in heaviness, but doesn't do so at the expense of tunes. Drummer Rio Okuya pounds his kit unmercifully but not unmusically, bassist Toshiaki Umemura keeps the grooves flowing like heated molasses and guitarist Yukito Okazaki peels off riff after speaker-shredding riff without ever descending into mindless wanking. The power trio (that's with an emphasis on power, mind you) loves it hard and fast ("Movements and Vibes," "Feel the Beat," the angrily distorted "Machine") as well as slow and deep ("No Answer," "Schizy," the epic "Waiting for the Sun"). (Who knows what the heck's up with "Fairies Never Sleep," a four-minute track of nothing but ghostly moans and groans.) There's an unusual attention to songwriting here; many bands of this ilk would be happy to just grind out the sludge, but EE hangs it on actual tunes. Okazaki is a fine picker in the classic 70s metal sense and a forceful singer, and he knows just how to lovingly bludgeon the melodies until they cry out in ecstasy. Share the rock.
	Chaos Realm by Ray Dorsey
		Mother!!! This is a stone-cold pulverizer from the word go! I really liked the previous EE disc, "Spiritualized D", a lot, but this one shreds it! ETERNAL ELYSIUM is a 3-piece band from Japan and their style is an ungodly blend of guttural doom metal, drawn into long exploratory jamming, topped with lead guitarwork that will remind the listener of vintage Leslie West or Clapton in Cream. Stretching out into elongated texts of hell like the 9 min "Waiting For The Sun" & "No Answer" or the 8 min "Dogma" (complete with bizarre chanting), this is in-your-face metallic sludge, being played by musicians on the level of jazz-masters. The star of the show is guitarist Yukito Okazaki, who sends air-axemen into a frenzy with his wild yet tasteful & bluesy trips into solo heaven. Yukito also adds his raw vocals to the hellish din to create one fantastic heavy album that not only kicks your ass into next week, but jams like crazy as well. A major necessity!!!
	ElectricBasement.com by Rock Devi
		With Spiritualized D, Japan's highly capable stoner rock outfit Eternal Elysium showed us that guitars could be taller than tall and wider than wide and still pack a melodic punch. The case is still the same here. Yet this time the melodies are more loose and blues influenced. While the vocals are sparse in some tracks, they are oh so perfectly placed. Take "Schizy", a waltz of pure fuzz-demonium, where the ramblings are magnificently stoned but in complete cohesion with the melody. Also adding to the mix is an increase in personality that makes this one of the better American rock records of the year...except, of course, it ain't American!Ê One nick comes from the slightly less fat sound. The debut was so damn heavy you'd swear the CD weighed more than the others. This one is more MC5 in its blur of crackling fuzz. Still a fine release. 3.5/5
	Boston's Weekly Dig by Sleazegrinder, Vol. 4, Issue 15, April 10-17th 2002
		Eternal Elysium's last record, Spiritualized D, was such a thick, skull-fragment stew of killer hippy freakouts and black crashing waves of sub-Sabbath dreamy droning that by the tail end of it, when they went completely overboard, and flutes and bird calls filled every available space in your head, it seemed like that whole rock-as-narcotic trip they've always warned us about had finally arrived, I half expected a Videodrome styled outbreak of headphones exploding in a flurry of pink and purple liquid to melt right into unsuspecting rocker brains, leaving the youth of the nation perpetually blissed out on Elysium's Japanese mega-fuzz. Share isn't quite so out there. It's more of an inside job, a rope-burned, bound and gagged, punch in the face of dirty ass Rock & Roll. Which is not to say that it's any less druggy--believe me, these Far Eastern thunderchuckers are never going to walk straight again--it's just more focused in it's attack. You can still see the vapor trails and tiny little hieroglyphics dancing in the corners, but songs like "Feel The Beat", with its fifth gear Blue Cheer retro-chug that sounds more like fellow countrymen Thee Machine Gun Elephant than any turgid stoner rock band, or the awe inspiring, world eating "Waiting For The Sun", a wicked riff bundle of sleaze-doom that sounds like the '71 Alice Cooper band fighting over the last scrap of groupie in the La Brea tar pits, will snap you right back into a new super reality where a gang of hairy Japanese guys, with only that most excessive testament to the evil powers of Rock & Roll, Sabotage, as a weapon, have out-rocked just about any of their Western contemporaries. Worshipful.
	Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles by Martin Popoff, #59, May 2002
		Eternal Elysium's follow-up to the well-regarded Spiritualized D debut gets closer and more intimate with an engagingly universal vintage rock sound versus the hammerheaded stoner vibe of the '00 debut. And the fact that this power trio is Japanese brings a much-needed exotic take on things, Eternal Elysium looking at what is a very western style through the kaleidoscope of the east's odd relationship with all things American. There are a variety of stylistic offerings on this thing, from garage, through southern, through hints of new wave and industrial, through time-suspending psychedelia, the band throwing all sorts of curves track after track, while remaining at the core, a sludgy stoner rock band. And underscoring the variety, Yukito Okazaki sings nasty to nice, also obfuscating with effects drippy to distorted. Oceans away from Sigh in terms of loopiness, Eternal Elysium is nevertheless another Japanese band coming up with a wide palette of musics within their chosen subgenre.
	Aural Innovations by Scott Heller, #19 (April 2002)
		This is the 2nd CD by this Japanese 3 piece and quite an impressive piece of work. The band have a very heavy sound, sometimes moving towards doom but more of a 70s sound most of the time. A mixture of cool guitars, panned vocals and long songs makes for quite a journey. This is not a CD you just throw on and jam along to while you are working around the house or something. It really demands a listen to fully enjoy the heavy blues rock inspired grooves of a lot of the songs and of course a bit of Black Sabbath. They really do things their own unique Japanese ways and the songs are never evolving the way you might think they will as you are listening to them. Quite a special band. What more can I say??????
	Metal Nightmare webzine Issue #12
		Hailing from the Far East, and coming from somewhere between CATHEDRAL and PENTAGRAM (US) is ETERNAL ELYSIUM! They're well toked up and ready to crank out the psychedelic doom once again. They've gotten heavier than your dear Aunt Fannie after an all you can eat night at the local barbecue pit, and they've tuned down lower than a snake's ass in a wagon rut. EE fuckin' jam on killer songs like "Love is All," or "Feel the Beat," kicking ass and taking names. Don't miss this one!
	Metalliville webzine U.K. by Glenn Milligan
		Fancy a bit of bluesy grooving, crunching, Sabbath orientated Stoner, then if so, this'll sooth your soul. The Double E is what you need after a round with the Double O (that's Ozzy Osbourne to any of you laymen out there) especially if you want to top it off with a big bag of drink 'n' drugs. This album is the modern soundtrack - this you can be sure. If the drugs don't get ya, then this band certainly will - and before you ask, no they aren't American, but surprisingly enough come from Japan, here to kick your ass with heavy guts of phased guitar, pendular strength drumming and wailing harsh vocals. It really is a treat from the stoner rock of 'Shizy' to the poppiness of 'Movements and Vibe' or the Geezer Butler styles blues of 'No Answer'. 7/10
	Kerrang! by Paul Travers, Issue 904, May 18 2002
		The weightiness of riff-driven stoner rock generally demands a vocalist who can bellow like a warthog in distress. Eternal Elysium have the slab-heavy sound down pat, but they also stand out from the hirsute herd by virtue of Yukito Okazaki's soaring vocal style. When the band reign in the worst of their freefrom jam excesses they're able to rock an almost unstoppable sense of momentum. The likes of "Maschine" and "Movements and Vibes" level everything before them like a hairy great mammoth on a promise. Unfortunately, on "No Answer" and "Waiting For The Sun" -- nine minute segments of flabby-arsed floundering both -- it forgets where it's going and stops to chew the cud, leaving a potentially gigantic album to wallow in the mire of its own self-indulgence. KKK
	Unrestrained by Tate Bengtson, Issue #19, June/July 2002
		Carving some sort of niche between Sabbathy blues, Cream-styled guitar art, and stoner rockin' psychedelia, this Japanese trio hammers out thick axe licks mixed with off-key vocals that possess that same sense of hypnotic drift as Dead Meadow or Sons of Otis, only slightly more tangible and with a bit of garage rock irreverence.Ê This balances niecely against the robust guitar riffs, which carve a spacious niche between dirge and psychedelia.Ê This mixture is particularly effective on the second tune, "Feel The Beat", where a jittery '70s-styled drum pattern encounters a wall-of-sound axe rhythm on a track that never slips into the calm comfort of space rock, but remains on the edge, rattling back and forth between a direct, off-kilter attack and drifting psychedelic sludge that slows to an aching crawl at the three-minute mark.Ê A more artful guitar scrawl emerges with the subsequent track, "Movements and Vibes", which features a drum rhythm and a chorus that vaguely sound like a curious rock-based portrayal of disco (!!). Eternal Elysium continues to spice things up with the abrasively brief assault of "Machine", one of the weaker tracks on the album that doesn't muster the same quality of riffs nor the involved psychedelia of Eternal Elysium's other material, although it is quickly forgotten as the spacious ryhthmic stomp of "No Answer" spews forth leviathan groove riffs that slowly amble under a tequila-fueled confidence before sinking into a mesmerizing drfit of doomy heaviness that recalls the dirge-ridden torpidity of 'Soul Sacrifice' -era Cathedral. While the vocals do take a bit of adjustment, with their off-key sense of melodrama at times not feeling as if they are hitting the notes in a manner most beneficial to the song in question, at other times they work quite well, ambling through the thick guitar sludge with hypnostatic impudence. A cool album for fans of the more psychedelic side of stoner/doom. 7.5 out of 10
	Toosquare Magazine by Mike SOS
		Stoner rock's notoriety is worldwide, as Japan is firmly represented by a trio known as Eternal Elysium and their latest nine track mission, SHARE. Keeping in the spirit of such bands as Deep Purple, Trouble and Monster Magnet, Eternal Elysium's riffs grind with furious grit ("Schizy") and the rhythms are chunky, complete with a heavy handed backbeat and a hypnotic slow groove, just like founding forefathers such as Blue Cheer and Sabbath showed them ("Love Is All"). Swirling vocals add depth to the tripped out sensation ("Feel The Beat", "Dogma") that these guys showcase. They even go that extra mile and incorporate a disco beat into their thick mix, making a bonafide buddha booty bonanza in the process ("Movements And Vibes"). Fuzzy, sludgy, and not without a massive space jam to lose your head to ("Waiting For The Sun"), Eternal Elysium have concocted a potent collection of tunes guaranteed to make every time as special as 4:20.
	The Music Korner
		While it's inevitable that they'll be lumped into the "stoner rock" category, this sophomore release from Japan's Eternal Elysium finds them taking the roots of that genre and then twisting them into a refreshing mixture all their own. As you make your way through these 9 diverse tracks, elements of everything from blues and classic rock (Deep Purple, Sabbath) to funk and disco (check out the incredible "Movements and Vibes") and even some tribal drum work and chanting work themselves in amongst the fuzzed-out , bottom-heavy grooveresulting in 53 minutes of aural bliss.
	Under The Volcano by Alex, #68
		Damn, this is one of the catchiest so called "stoner rock" CD's I've heard in quite some time. Hailing from the land of sushi, geishas and kamikazes (Japan) these chaps deliver 9 tracks of fuzzed out, groove heavy acid rock which yes, borrows heavily from Black Sabbath. Don't fret, the overall result is an infectious release which will inspire your ass to boogie while smoking a joint. While not the most original disc in existence, "Share" is still a powerhouse to be reckoned with.
	Backfire Magazine by Adem Tepedelen, Volume 5, Issue #2
		Eternal Elysium's reverence for the almighty Riff is evident on their second CD, Share. They worship it and pay tribute with a starry-eyed dedication that every other metal/stoner rock band could take a few cues from. Hell, this '70s-rock-obsessed trio isn't aftraid to pack more thunderous riffs into one song than bands like Whitesnake managed to stumble across in their entire miserable fucking career. Yet Eternal Elysium never sacrifice the quality of the songs for the sake of stringing together a meandering mess of relentless riffola. Share is a crushing psych rock record that mixes towering epics with smoky head music, a fermented tangerine dreamscape of weird heavy rock.
	Doom Alive
		If there's a country which constantly produces weird, yet very high quality stuff, it's Japan. Even if you've never been there, you'll no doubt have heard all about confused Englishmen marvelling at vending machines selling soiled pants, electronic dogs and pissing in the street. Is it any wonder, then, that it produces such fine metal bands? Alongside Sigh and Church of Misery, Eternal Elysium take rock and roll by the pants, and try to work out where to fit ridiculous amounts of additions to it. While most bands are merely content to rock, then rock again, Eternal Elysium seem to notice some sort of metal spectrum and utilise it in their songwriting. Some people might call the end product weird, but that's their loss. The truth is there's no such thing as weird, just a norm and a person's relationship with it, and on this evidence, Eternal Elysium don't seem to be on speaking terms with it.
	Candy for Bad Children by Clay N. Ferno
		The riff-rock madness of Cactus mixed with the eerie blaze of early Sabbath is alive and well in this Japanese band. This is the kind of rock Americans should be making, but aren't. The Japanese have us beat here. This record is a true rocker to put on while you're getting some, or if you are driving around looking to get in some serious trouble, blast this out of your pick-up. Only incarcerated meth dealers are capable of fueling the angst and sullen evil as well as Eternal Asylum has done on this record. I'm sure these guys get fucked up, get fucked and spin Deep Purple well in to the dead of night, every night. Any devil worshipping, drug-consuming fan of Monster Magnet and Nebula will get a hard-on for this powerful trio. The solos blaze and the singer's voice is amazing. This one is a hot record. Not everything I end up reviewing ends up in regular rotation, but I'm gonna be playing these guys in every stereo in the house for weeks to come. Perhaps the best thing about this record is the Gregorian Chants slash Halloween Spooky noise track at the end. As my Irish friend would say, "That's Brilliant!" Blue Cheer meets Black Sabbath...Blue Sabbath? Black Cheer...you decide...
	Planetfuzz by Nick Muc
		The much-hyped brand new release from Japan's Eternal Elysium sets out with some killer press, and some great reviews, but I've been having a tough time with it so far. Where their previous album "Spiritualized D" had some great grooves, and was an all round great disc, this disc really has me lost. "Share" offers up a wide range of tracks, from the kickass 8+ minute "Dogma" to the punky "Feel the Beat" to the Trouble-esque "Schizy", it doesn't really translate well into a very cohesive disc.Forget about trying to figure out which category "Movements and Vibes" falls into, it honestly sounds like a dance remix ‹ which is not necessarily bad, I just don't understand it's purpose on this disc. Don't get me wrong, there are some great moments on this disc. Check out the ambient howling in "Fairies Never Sleep", which kinda piqued my interest on this disc. Also, "Dogma" and "Waiting for the Sun" serve up some wicked Sabbath worship, but it is certainly no Church of Misery.
	EUTK.net by Fabrizio 'Stonerman' Bertogliatti
		I Samurai dello psych-rock? Di sicuro gli Eternal Elysium sono giapponesi e per quanto riguarda l’espressione musicale non impallidiscono affatto al cospetto delle migliori formazioni europee e statunitensi. Il loro debutto “Spiritualized D” era stato apprezzato per l’alta qualità della proposta, ma il presente “Share” è un gioiellino che lo supera in modo netto. Forse benefici sono arrivati dal completo sconvolgimento della line-up voluto da Okazaki, assoluto fulcro del tutto, o magari è lo stesso leader che è cresciuto in maniera esponenziale, fatto sta che il risultato è sorprendente. Il trio di Nagoya dimostra di possedere una dose enorme della positiva caratteristica che è la versatilità, nessuno stile portato avanti immutabile e monotono spacciato, come spesso accade, per “coerenza” bensì una naturale capacità di legare tra loro molteplici correnti di pensiero che nascono dalle fondamenta portanti del doom e si tramutano in temi heavy rock, acid blues, metal, sludge ed altro ancora. Un’abilità innata di mischiare le carte ben evidenziata ad esempio in “Feel the beat”, un’incastro di sensuale groove hard rock, passaggi di mefitica tenebra, strascicate vocals prese dal miglior grunge, scossoni metallici, che non scade però nel polpettone confusionario restando al contrario confinato nei binari della compattezza e dell’omogeneità. Notevoli e fantasiosi colpi di genio costellano l’album, quali la ritmica funkeggiante di “Movements and vibes” fusa con un poderoso chitarrismo heavy o l’episodio stoner-tribale “Dogma” dove viene generato uno dei più ossessivi cori ascoltati in questo settore, vero “must” per i momenti di massimo “stonaggio”. Il germe sabbathiano, comunque primario nella cultura della band, si sviluppa invece nelle chilometriche tracce “Waiting for the sun” e “No answer”, oscuri tunnel saturati di atmosfere acide e rocciosi riffs circolari, ed anche in quest’ambito gli Eternal Elysium non avanzano su una monorotaia dimostrandosi abili e brillanti nel far deflagrare irresistibili accellerazioni spaziali dal tiro devastante. Altrettanto meritevoli le canzoni più vigorose, ruvidi e sanguigni inspessimenti di ispirazioni settantiane, vedi la massiccia e multiforme “Schizy” ed i grezzi metal-stoner “Love is all” e “Machine”. Unico momento che non mi ha convinto è quello conclusivo, quattro minuti di narcolettica “extravaganza” realizzata con gemiti, urla, sibili, distorsioni, un’electro-noise certamente originale ma totalmente alieno al resto dell’opera. Nessuno è perfetto. Dunque si tratta di un cd che è molto di più di una conferma, un progresso eccitante che pone il trio del sol levante nella cerchia dei migliori esponenti di questa eterogenea galassia di “alternativi”. Dopo un breve momento di stasi c’era necessità di un disco che scuotesse la scena stoner-psych e “Share” vi è certamente riuscito. Voto: 8/10