Swiss doomgaze duo E-L-R unleash new single »Oaken Reaper« from upcoming album »Atropa«; out November 6th via Prophecy Productions!

Bern, Switzerland based atmospheric doom/post-metal duo E-L-R has released the second single and opening track »Oaken Reaper« from upcoming full-length album, »Atropa«, due out on November 6th, 2026 via Prophecy Productions.

Tracklist:
01. Oaken Reaper
02. Archeress
03. Cobalt Wound
04. Solace Tracery
05. Saltwinds
06. Echo Space

Courtesy of Prophecy Productions:

Swiss duo E-L-R drop the dark and foreboding track »Oaken Reaper« as the next advance single from their forthcoming album »Atropa«, out on November 6, 2026.

Pre-order »Atropa« here:
spkr.store | e-l-r.bandcamp.com

“»Oaken Reaper« was conceived in a time of change and became a symbol of the path that we have travelled as a band over the past years,” guitarist and vocalist S.M. explains. “Poised between a farewell and new beginnings, the song bridges two chapters of our story. It speaks of enduring the fire and of hope that emerges from transformation.”

Photo credit: David Fitt

Art is regularly born from strong emotions. Metal and related genres often thrive on the darker side of the human experience. Both commonplace truths apply to E-L-R’s third album »Atropa«. »Atropa« was shaped by a period of profound transformation and illness, leading to an artistic exploration of survival, endurance, and irreversible change.

Stylistically, the Swiss duo effortlessly balance doomgaze and post-metal with something that is darker and harsher, which is also harder to put a tag on. E-L-R refer to their sound as something that drifts between weight and dissolution, beauty and poison.

Lyrically, the songs on »Atropa« pass through stages of grief, delirium, obsessive love, and resilience. The poetic lyrics linger in a liminal space where yearning, loss, and transformation become indistinguishable. E-L-R are the brainchild of bass-player I.R. and guitarist S.M., who also share vocal duties and founded the band in the Swiss city of Bern in 2016. They were soon after joined by drummer M.K., whose emotive style was a perfect fit.

In the early stages of the creation of »Atropa«, M.K. was sadly forced to leave the band due to health issues. Following a difficult and at times painful recording process, E-L-R present their most complete album yet that takes its listeners on an emotional rollercoaster ride that burns with passion.

»Atropa« inhabits the threshold where the irreversible begins – when the arrow is loosed, and the world can no longer remain the same. Now and always, we are all bound to follow the trajectory of such an arrow.

Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well