{"id":251560,"date":"2026-01-18T19:33:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-18T19:33:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/251560\/"},"modified":"2026-01-18T19:33:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-18T19:33:08","slug":"review-ellimist-devastation-of-the-large-magellanic-cloud","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/251560\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Ellimist – Devastation of the Large Magellanic Cloud"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Published by Cory<\/a> on January 18, 2026January 18, 2026<\/p>\n

\"\"Artwork by: Mark Erskine<\/a><\/p>\n

Style: Progressive death metal (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Alkaloid<\/a>, Parius, Devin Townsend, Cynic
Country: United States
Release date: 31 December 2025<\/p>\n

Much like those totally bizarre creatures inhabiting the deepest parts of the sea, we\u2019re sure to discover our share of oddities when dredging the fathomless depths of the progressive underground. A couple of weeks ago, we uncovered an obscure Japanese tech-thrash act that, somehow, got prominent bass prodigy and Willow Smith bandmate Mohini Dey to feature on two tracks. (Solid album, go check it out<\/a>.) This week, we\u2019ve got Ellimist\u2014or, Ellimist\u00ae LLC, Progressive Metal Band and Sci-Fi Media Company, All Rights Reserved.1<\/a> What? Why does the Bandcamp page for this band, who have a following about equal in size to your local high school garage band, mention a business structure and contain enough legalese to bring back memories of my days as a practicing attorney? I don\u2019t know, but I\u2019m intrigued enough to check them out.<\/p>\n

Headed by guitarist and vocalist Anthony Lewis,2<\/a> Ellimist\u2019s sophomore album, Devastation of the Large Magellanic Cloud, evidently tracks a novel in progress titled Cyr the Destroyer.3<\/a> The band\u2019s sound sits somewhere in the spacey prog-death universe and brings in Gojira-type chugs, jazzy elements, synth-centered passages, and all sorts of narration. In spirit, the record is akin to conceptual works like Devin Townsend\u2019s Ziltoid the Omniscient, Parius\u2019s The Signal Heard Throughout Space, and Alkaloid\u2019s ongoing \u201cDyson Sphere\u201d saga. Does that have you prog nerds excited? Read on\u2026<\/p>\n

Narratively and musically, Devastation of the Large Magellanic Cloud strives to cover an immense amount of ground\u2014or space, I suppose. Alongside the prog-death chops are narrations, cinematic sound bites, interludes drawing upon entirely different genres, vocals ranging from clean to Demilich-style burps, and a host of other elements aiming to bring the album\u2019s concept to life. The aspiration is commendable, but there\u2019s a huge issue: the record has enough fluff to fill a 90-minute double album, yet Devastation of the Large Magellanic Cloud is only 35 minutes long. The listening experience is largely one that alternates between headscratching and whiplash.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with the good, as there\u2019s potential here. Standout track \u201cFenegastre\u201d offers huge riffs, reminiscent of a stripped-back Alkaloid. Catchy vocal layering bolsters the track\u2019s middle stretch, and a triumphant vocal melody closes it out. \u201cThe Beacon\u201d delivers some interesting guitar work, particularly during a proggy bridge that leads to a slick set of sweeps. Meanwhile, \u201cCyr the Destroyer\u201d features a few of the more compelling theatrical clips and integrates them well, which can\u2019t be said about many of the tracks. And the vocals, largely sitting in the comfortable realm of \u201cserviceable,\u201d carry a Devin Townsend-esque bite in the refrain of \u201cBallok and the Death of Worlds,\u201d providing a nice complement to the heavy riff rolling beneath.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The tracks themselves may be of varying quality, but Devastation of the Large Magellanic Cloud really breaks down in its composition as a whole. The album\u2019s first interlude, a catchy enough little jazzy number, appears a mere seven minutes into the work, and a couple of those preceding minutes were focused on narration. I haven\u2019t heard nearly enough to be ready for a standalone instrumental vignette, and its style is wholly untethered to what surrounds it. Then, only five minutes later, we happen upon another stray bit: \u201cSpacer\u201d and its three minutes of dancy synths, the presence of which I couldn\u2019t begin to justify. Three proper tracks follow, each containing a relatively palatable amount of narrative elements and establishing the slightest amount of cohesion. Then, we\u2019re done\u2014a narrative closing track based around contextually unestablished melodic piano and symphonic synths closes the curtains. Stylistically, musically, and even in how the tracks move from one to the next, nothing flows, which really undercuts the narrative focus the record works so hard to establish. Devastation of the Large Magellanic Cloud comes across as a few songs\u2014or pieces of songs\u2014thrown haphazardly into a mess of sound bites and stylistic non sequiturs. Some prog bands thrive in achieving the oxymoronic balance of coherently incoherent. Ellimist, unfortunately, fall off the beam.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Still, sometimes it\u2019s better to wildly swing for the fences than to watch a pitch go by. Ellimist might not have connected with the metaphorical ball here, but I appreciate the effort and recommend giving the record a listen. Devastation of the Large Magellanic Cloud is many things, and boring certainly isn\u2019t one of them. And to the band\u2019s credit, the album\u2019s bright spots could form a decent foundation for their sound\u2019s development\u2014once the unrestrained ambition is reined in and its execution refined. Until then, I\u2019m afraid this is the end of my time with Ellimist\u00ae LLC, Progressive Metal Band and Sci-Fi Media Company, All Rights Reserved. I really thought I\u2019d get to dust off that old law degree.<\/p>\n

Recommended tracks: Fenegastre, Ballok and the Death of Worlds, Cyr the Destroyer
You may also like: Changeling<\/a>, Obsidious<\/a>, Exist<\/a>, Fractal Universe<\/a>
Final verdict: 4\/10<\/p>\n

Related links: Bandcamp<\/a> | Facebook<\/a> | Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n

Label: Independent<\/p>\n

Ellimist is:
\u2013 Anthony Lewis (guitars, vocals)
\u2013 Ben Paden (drums)
\u2013 Justyn Fogarty (bass; has since left the band)<\/p>\n

\n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n