“In this after. Emptiness. Always nothing. Consciousness. Now that I have you right where I want you to be. Giving you new breath. Raven again flying free.”
Earthless is easily one of the biggest psychedelic rock bands of the 21st century. Riffing their way out through their first three, completely instrumental albums, the power trio from California has finally dropped ‘Black Heaven’, a 6 track monster record with a humble, nostalgic classic rock vibe and a beautiful touch of the band’s efficient, headbanging, and imperfectly perfect sound.
So sit back, relax yourself for a long groovy journey while you begin playing the record. And oh, do roll yourself a doobie. (Hello, legal states in the USA)
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Right off the hook, a simple comparison between all the albums straight away gives off that Black Heaven is the first record by the trio that introduces vocals in the entire mixture, delivered by guitarist Isaiah Mitchell. Alongside the first time vocals, Isaiah delivers groovy riffing and face-scrunching licks with an array of atmospheric effects, capable of conveniently warping you into alternative dimensions once thought improbable. Tracks like “End to End” and “Sudden End” demonstrate this perfectly, just try not to melt your face off listening to how beautifully constructed each groove is, topped with the brilliant production work done by the Rancho de la Luna Studios, owned and operated by Eagles of Death Metal guitarists Dave Catching.
The album also has two instrumentals paying tribute to the sound once executed by the trio, “Volt Rush” being the shorter one, and the title track being the longer one. Bassist Mike Eginton and drummer Mario Rubalcaba take the cake for the title track and album title Black Heaven, which existed as a code name between the two whenever guitarist Isaiah wouldn’t be available for jam sessions. The both of them deliver locked rhythm that is very precise, groovy and acts as the utmost perfect foundation to Isaiah playing the bendy solos.
‘Black Heaven’ is a very calmed and chilled frenzy of atmospheric effects, brilliantly laid down grooves, and definitely makes an interesting addition to the headbanging collection.