Review: delving ‘All Paths Diverge’

No one could ever fault Nick DiSalvo for not being busy. When the Elder frontman isn’t pushing as many complex and melodic riffs and tempo changes into his main acts songs as he can, he has been hard at work writing music that doesn’t quite fit the Elder mold.

This project saw its genesis during the days of the pandemic lockdown, which was in some ways a boon for many musicians like DiSalvo, in that it forced a creative hand born out of the necessity of expression and refuge from stress.

All Paths Diverge is delving’s second offering of colorful instrumental music and differs from its predecessor Hirschbrunnen in being written in between Elder’s touring schedule. As such, it stands closer as something of a counterpart to Elder while retaining an identity of its own.

The boisterous melodies of Sentinel give something of a jazz fusion feel akin to Snarky Puppy, displaying kaleidoscopic guitars harmonized with Fabien de Menou’s flourishes on the Rhodes piano and Uno Bruniusson’s rollicking drum beat. It strikes me as an evolved version of Elder’s excellent The Gold & Silver Sessions from 2019.

This vibe carries over to the second track Omnipresence with its Zombi-esque synth intro which paves the way later for some really spirited lead work from DiSalvo. I’m impressed with the very uplifting feel of delving’s music which seemingly details a wild sonic journey to impossible (or possible?) landscapes in that very ‘70s sense of progressive rock. Chain Of Mind hits with lush open sky grandeur on some far-off planet, while New Meridian begins its first half as a slightly subdued and low-fi affair until it fires off into a psychedelic pop vortex.

the colorful and lively swells of delving will take you on an energetic path…

Roger Dean’s famous artwork is what immediately came to my mind with the sprawling thirteen plus minute Zodiak. It is the most outwardly prog offering on the record and features some elusive heavier guitar to add to the overall aural density. The Ascetic is a bit more gentle but still energetic while the closer Vanish With Grace is true to its name in being a riveting conclusion with some nice trip hop-type beats and fuzzy outros.

If I have a criticism with All Paths Diverge it’s that many of the tracks are outwardly similar. But the upbeat melodic spirit and masterful execution is enough that it’s not much of a reproval because the record is a very enjoyable listen. Admittedly, I’m someone who much prefers the earlier and heavier incarnation of Elder, though I have a ton of respect for their rapid musical evolution.

That being said, I find myself preferring delving to current Elder as a vehicle for DiSalvo’s ambitious and complex musical vision. He’s come a long way from being the kid who wrote the likes of Riddle Of Steel and Dead Roots Stirring. If you’ve enjoyed recent offerings by the likes of Monkey3, we broke the weather and Polymoon, chances are the colorful and lively swells of delving will take you on an energetic path.

Label: Stickman Records | Blues Funeral Recordings
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram

Scribed by: Rob Walsh