Once again I was able to dig out a real little underground gem. This time I would like to introduce you to "Elapse With The Relapse" which is the brand new longplayer by South Korean based (progressive) Power Metal force CRUX. According to my info the band was initially formed in 1989 and disbanded somewhere in the 90s. The outfit was reformed recently by the two remaining original members Young Sin (ex – STRANGER) and keyboarder Sean Che. The veterans recruited three new band members and the result is now rotating in my player. Even the quintet raises the flag of Power Metal high they don’t limit themselves and incorporate elements from various styles into their music as well. As long as it is heavy and fits to the music and concept of course. The album kicks off with ‘Soundtrack To My Fears’ and while the tune is still running you will catch yourself headbanging to the song. Furthermore you will notice at once that this Korean horde consists of very skilled and talented musicians. I especially like the brillant guitar work with its great riffs and killer solos a lot. Even more the mix of the axe as it is total heavy and hard hitting. The sophisticated drum work of Mr. Sin is just fantastic and he really can convince me with his varied play with a lot of great fills and rhythm changes. The master of the four-strings and the keyboarder also have their room to develop and both bring in some cool ideas for the songwriting as well. Speaking about the keyboards. Usually I am quite picky when it comes to that instrument but my concerns vanish into thin air quite fast. The keys can convince me and are neither disturbing the overall sound nor are they annoying – they are really played with class. Very well done. Last but not least CRUX have a superb vocalist in Sebastian W. Suh. His great voice covers a wide range from high pitched screams up to a rougher vocal performance. In other words: he is the icing on the cake. And I just dare to say now that he might be one of the best Heavy Metal vocalists ever from South Korea – if not the best! Each track of the album is executed on a remarkable musical level with various tempo and rhythm changes and a lot of details to discover. The band masters all styles may it be speedier tunes like ‘Zero Gravity’, heavy stuff (‘Fractured / Patterns’), tracks with a slight thrashier approach (‘Magna Fail’), solid Metal à la ‘Mal.Funk’Tion7/8’ or epic songs like ‘Time Travel:Episode 1’. The album flows, it is catchy (despite the technical level) and it has class which should convince headbangers into quality stuff here as well with ease. The remarkable production of the album meets international standards and is top notch. All I can do now is to recommend you to check this five piece out. Just visit their site at www.facebook.com/metalcrux.