Earthless - "Rhythms From A Cosmic Sky"
(Tee-Pee 2007, CD/LP)
Earthless - "Rhythms From A Cosmic Sky"
(Tee-Pee 2007, CD/LP)
From Aural Innovations #37 (September 2007)
Earthless are a mostly instrumental powerhouse freakout trio from San Diego, California. The first thing I noticed when I was reading about them on the Tee-Pee Records web site was a quote from the band bio saying… Let's specifically start a Japanese-psychedelic-heavy-Kraut-rock-band. Well… they done it!! The CD consists of two 21 minute jams and a third shorter tune. The opening track, "Godspeed", begins with a few minutes of spaced out freakiness that serves as an introductory bit until the band launch into space rocking stoner rock 'n rolling heaven. "Sonic Prayer" opens with a brief sitar like drone. But the band quickly take off into a steady paced jam with wailing liquid space guitars, backed by the bass & drum rhythmic steering committee. Of course it doesn't take long before the band go completely out of cosmic control and cut loose into a mercury bursting punishing space-psych jam. "Cherry Red" is the third track, and is very different from the rest of the album, being a heavy blues psych-rock tune with vocals. Very cool, but almost "normal" compared to the lobotomizing effect of the lengthy jams that preceded it.
What's great about Earthless is that at the core they are a hard 'n heavy manic rock 'n roll band, but with mucho cosmic space-psych influences. And it doesn't hurt that they're a solid performing unit of crack musicians. Screaming guitar licks, fuzzed, wah'd and balls out rocking, backed by a powerhouse rhythm section, this will have listeners wide eyed and clenching white knuckled to their seats. Nuff said… this is THEE SHIT!! Highest recommendation.
For more information you can visit the Earthless web site at: http://www.myspace.com/earthless.
Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz