Review Summary: One more flight but in altitudes below the Kármán line
Earthless, a San Diego-based trio, has long tested the boundaries of patient, immersive instrumental music, crafting sprawling psychedelic-stoner krautrock. Since 2001, their endurance of lengthy jams and exploratory spontaneity has defined their identity, earning global followers and local accolades, including multiple San Diego Music Awards. Their early triumphs, notably
Sonic Prayer and
Rhythms from a Cosmic Sky, culminated in a standout live performance at Roadburn in 2008, later captured on the vividly titled
Live at Roadburn to satisfy demand. The 2010s saw a shift: collaborations, a brief hiatus, Isaiah Mitchell’s relocation, and a signing with Nuclear Blast, all influencing Earthless’ evolving sound. Yet
Black Heaven marks a notable departure from their elemental blueprint, inviting scrutiny for its added vocals and altered dynamics. Surprisingly, the result remains cohesive and compelling, challenging detractors who might deem the shift sacrilege. In truth, the record underscores Earthless’ resilience and ongoing artistic merit within a changing musical landscape.
Long celebrated for sprawling, guitar-driven instrumental explorations, Earthless pivots with
Black Heaven, signaling a deliberate change of pace. The band’s label transition to Nuclear Blast appears to coincide with a shift in writing and sonic approach, yet their essence remains unmistakable: explosive riffs, fearless progressions, and a flair for defying conventional song structures. This album broadens their palette to six tracks, four of which feature Isaiah Mitchell’s soulful vocals and lyrical allure, injecting a new dimension without abandoning the core energy. In essence, Earthless evolves -vocally and sonically- while preserving their unmistakable fire.
Black Heaven delivers a thrilling, earthbound odyssey, accelerating from the starting gate with a kinetic energy that feels unmistakably classic yet fiercely unruly. The album channels the vintage power-trio tradition of rock and roll, infusing it with an adrenaline-fueled swagger that advances without restraint. Its sound defies neat categorization, offering a raw, earthbound propulsion that eschews polish in favor of feral momentum. This collection refuses to be contained or predictable, demanding listeners rewrite their expectations. In short, it is a game changer: a bold, relentless ride that redefines how a rock album can inhabit and expand its own sonic universe.
The embodiment of Earthless’s maturation,
Black Heaven presents a decisive synthesis of a band long associated with extensive space-rock jams. What once read as overt instrumental excess now reveals disciplined, purposeful composition. The album moves beyond vague idealism, offering songs that feel crafted yet retain the immediacy of a spontaneous jam. Each track adheres to traditional structures -verses, choruses, bridges, and vocals- while preserving the elemental rush of live improvisation. This balance is the work’s greatest achievement: a distilled, structured song-craft that still pulsates with the energy of extended sessions. Earthless’s characteristic intensity remains intact, but the music achieves clarity and focus, creating a hypnotic, crescendo-rich experience that confirms their enduring relevance in modern heavy rock.
Earthless weave authentic slices of sound into a cohesive, compelling whole. The band gathers diverse influences into a massive musical mosaic, delivering the energy and soul of ’60s rock through stellar performances, warm analogue production, and meticulous songwriting worthy of commendation. Each track remains distinctly independent, yet all captivate with inventive nods to krautrock, classic rock formats, and pure ’60s rock ’n’ roll. Remarkably, the psych-rock edge remains sharp, as instrumentation throughout the record stays consistently stellar and sonically engaging.
Individually, each component -guitar, vocals, drums, and bass- is honed to the maximum, yielding a fusion of Hendrix-inspired guitar fireworks with a restrained, authentic vocal presence. Isaiah Mitchell’s guitar work is best described as central and trans-formative, layering intricate tones, breathy static, and feedback to achieve a cosmic yet grounded sound. His newly developed vocal contribution, shaped by his work with Golden Void, introduces a recognizable yet deliberately imperfect humanity to the proceedings, evoking classic rock’s soulful mood while maintaining a distinctive edge. This combination situates the album as a deliberate evolution, balancing elemental performance with a sense of immediacy and stage-life imagery that listeners can vividly imagine. Beyond the individual prowess, the ensemble -Mario Rubalcaba on drums, and Mike Eginton on bass- provides a rhythmic backbone that sustains a muscular, persistent drive. Their contributions underscore a disciplined economy: shorter tracks that nonetheless deliver impact through precise, decisive writing. The album, though concise, achieves cohesion by prioritizing core ideas over excessive elaboration, producing a sound that is both savage and uplifting. Overall, this work reflects a deliberate artistic philosophy: prioritize clarity, intensity, and technical mastery to create memorable, propulsion-driven rock that remains philosophically grounded and sonically restraint.
As always, Earthless showcases a stunning virtuosity within a psych-rock milieu that belies its lack of mainstream breakthrough. The trio blends late-1960s blues-rock sludge, 1970s progressive complexity, and Japanese psych-rock roar, appealing to a broad spectrum of listeners - from newcomers to stoners, rockers, and metal-heads. While not a timeless masterpiece, the album remains noteworthy for its originality; Earthless does not imitate, but channels the greats with a distinctive voice. Ultimately,
Black Heaven is retro yet remains innovative within its bold, energetic framework.
Earthless’s 4th album represents the power trio at their most audacious, affirming that the journey remains the core of musical greatness. The album unfolds as a wild, panoramic ride that blends vintage structure with blistering jams and explosive fuzz, signaling a reverent nod to classic rock and the legendary power trios that shaped the genre. Yet, it is unmistakably Earthless: a fierce, immersive experience that pulverizes expectations and minds alike. Poised as one of 2018’s finest, it confirms the band’s uncompromising artistic vision.
Do
not miss it.
Recommended tracks:
Gifted by the Wind
Electric Flame
Volt Rush
Black Heaven
