Earthless (#3, 2008)

Putting the Power back into "power trio" -
That's the business of Earthless... And business is good.


"Blue/From the Ages [edit]" from Live at Roadburn (2008)

"Rhythms From A Cosmic Sky" (their last studio album, 2007) is really good and got me into Earthless, but "Live at Roadburn" (recorded at last year's festival) is their great achievement. I'm not even sure what I'm doing here. I don't think I can add too much beyond this review, which probably subconsciously influenced the previous/first Free Music post's structure:

I’ll be blunt: if you find the idea of twenty-minute tunes that consist chiefly of a solid rock rhythm decorated with oodles of super-fast pedal-drenched blues-scale fretboard meanderings a turn off, Earthless are not the droids you are looking for, and you can go about your business.

This is another case of a band growing out of sorta prominent bands I'd never followed, or even caught up with - Rocket From The Crypt and Nebula mainly. All three guys fit into the music perfectly: they just flat-out jam. If you need a lot of (or any) structure, vocals, tunes, or anything that isn't described above, you're in for a long 90 minutes here. If that appeals, Earthless is really awesome at what they do. You should own it already, or buy it (at the very bottom).


I know what I can add! Earthless knows how to give you a value. If you clicked the shopping link, you might have noticed: $10 for 2xCD, $17 for gatefold 2xLP. Not bad at all, but because of the length of the songs, digital downloads are where to find the real deals - assuming you want to listen to this infernal racket. Especially on the "Re:Live" series of bootlegs (digital-only as far as I can tell).

In suggested buying order:
08/12/2004, 1 song ("Hawkwind"!!!), 50 mins - - $1
06/09/2004, 1 song ("The Can Jam"), 27 mins - - $1
04/06/2004, 1 song ("Sonic Prayer"), 55 mins - - $1
02/16/2005, 2 songs (w/ "Cherry Red"), 1 hour - - $2
Sonic Prayer (studio album), 2 songs, 42 mins - - $2

Finally, Earthless are getting ready to tour - and it's possible that this says they'll come to Houston in November or December, possibly with Baroness!! It's not the epitome of clarity.



And anyway, just look at those influences on MySpace:

Roky Erickson, Tony McPhee, Fred Cole, John Bonham, Geezer Butler, Lemmy, SLEEP, AMON DUUL 2, HAWKWIND, CAN, LED ZEPP, CREAM, ANIMAL, Mad Dog, Fire, Simply Saucer, The Cramps, Budgie, Spooky Tooth, Guru Guru, Scientists, The Firebirds, Pentagram, Ash Ra Tempel, DMZ, Celtic Frost, Darkthrone, Los Dug Dugs, Upsetters, Burning Spear, Funkadelic, Groundhogs, Bo Diddley, Double O, Vile Cherubs, Crucifix.

That's the kind of thing that makes them #3 of 2008.

[FYI - The video clip embedded starts about 20 minutes into the album's 1st disc: "Blue / From the Ages."]