Review Summary: Sound of Thunder
Long have I been a dedicated fan of Drone Doom, and many bands have come and gone, or changed genre or just started making really uninspiring music. This is especially a crime when one is dealing with such a niche genre. Earth have been of those who, since 1989, have been producing high quality music, with evolving style and sound. Quite an achievement for this particular genre.
Listening to Earth, as with all music from this genre, is a very unique experience, and you either love it or hate it. Some may think of it as depressing, I see it as reflective music. Music I listen to when I am browsing the web, relaxing on my bed sometimes even while reading appropriately themed books. But it works best when you want some time to yourself, ideally with headphones. If you close your eyes it won't take long before you're sucked into a whole new world. Hex; Or Printing in the Infernal Method will take you down a road new for Earth, one that has elements of country music in it. The slide guitar and broody atmosphere are signs of that. plus the incredible album art which was influenced by Cormac McCarthy's western novel Blood Meridian. The of the album comes from William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell. The album came out in 2005, after several years of absence. The reason was Dylan Carlson, lead instrumentalist and brain behind Earth, was going through legal and drug problems. Interestingly enough, he was the person who bought the shotgun for Kurt Cobain, which he used to commit suicide with... apparently.
This album is one of the most sincere and emotionally charged rides on a very slow roller coaster you will ever have! It takes great talent to create something this complex and this slow at the same time. Many bands can boast with technical ability and push the limits of speed and technique, but Earth have something else and very sinister. They mould music and sound into an almost ethereal experience, a journey of the soul, taking you places you will love and fear. Be ready to be shaken to the core by a brooding underground tremor of power.
