This came out in 2003 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
You’d think a band called Elevator would be better at keeping things straight. But the truth is this Moncton outfit — originally a side project of Eric’s Trip guitarist Rick White and drummer Mark Gaudet — have travelled a long and twisted path over the years.
First they were a noisy quartet called Elevator To Hell. Then they became a trio and changed their name to Elevator Through Hell. Then they shortened that to Elevator Through, and finally, just Elevator. Their music, meanwhile, evolved into a dark, swirling synthesis of punky noise, Sabbathy sludge and spaced-out psychedelia. Naturally, on Darkness –> Light, their sixth album, they’ve messed with the formula again by adding a fourth member — guitar slinger Dallas Good of Toronto twangmeisters The Sadies. Which means that now, Elevator sound sorta like what would happen if Hawkwind and Pink Floyd dropped a handful of microdot with Dick Dale and Roger McGuinn and just kept the tape machines rolling. Which is to say, sometimes it’s mind-blowing — especially on the incredible title cut, a throbbing 15-minute (!) lysergic journey to the edge of the cosmos and the centre of your mind — and other times it’s, well, kind of an unfocused buzz-kill. Still, all in all, with Darkness –> Light, Elevator are definitely moving in the right direction.
