Release
date: March
16th
2018. Label: Nuclear
Blast Records.
Format: CD/DD/Vinyl
Black
Heaven – Tracklisting
Gifted
By The Wind
End
To End
Electric
Flame
Volt
Rush
Black
Heaven
Sudden
End
Members
Mario
Rubalcaba
Isaiah
Mitchell
Mike
Eginton
Review
Earthless
have always been masters of their own audio reality, channelling a
mix of Sabbath-esque power with ZZ Top inspired hard rocking boogie
and the laid back and free vibe of their Californian homeland to
create joyful soundscapes and on their masterful new album Black
Heaven (a title inspired by the Joshua Tree night sky where the album
was recorded) they let loose a mixture of sheer power, tight knit
musical grooves and an improvised sense of freedom.
Aside
from their awesome split release with Harsh Toke a couple of years
ago, the band haven't released any material since 2013s From The Ages
album but with Black Heaven, they blast back in fine style with an
assured and potent return packed full of the riffs, groove and
attitude that they are renowned for.
Black
Heaven kicks off with the free flowing Gifted By The Wind, a song
that alongside the driving energy and catchy riffs is a fine line in
harmonica playing that compliments the song brilliantly and gets the
album off to a rocking start and doesn't let up until the last notes
from the albums beautifully mournful closing track Sudden End have
rung out.
Tracks
like the rolling Electric Flame and the aptly named Volt Rush (with a
special mention of the killer guitar solos on this one) have a focus
to them that gives off an awesome sense of both urgency and energy
and both of theses tracks are non stop
The
tracks again are largely massive instrumental freak outs but with the
added addition of vocals on this album (only two of the six tracks on
Black Heaven are wholly instrumental) and when those crooned vocals
of guitarist/singer Isaiah
Mitchell do surface, they sound
immense and only enhance the cavernous Earthless sound even further
and fit perfectly.
Drummer
Mario Rubalcaba and bassist Mike Eginton also play faultlessly
throughout and their groove combined by the non stop riffs from
Mitchell creates an epic sound (just check out the huge and epic
freak out that is the albums title track for proof)
The
album as a whole can be summed up as a mixture of their laid back
nature and that energetic focus and with Black Heaven, Earthless have
made an album that resonates sunshine, good vibes and above all, good
times but with a vital edge full of energy and vivacity and is a
sublime album perfect for the upcoming hazy summer months.
Words
by Gavin Brown
Thanks
to Monica at SpeakEasy PR for the promo. Black Heaven is available to
buy on CD/DD/Vinyl now via Nuclear Blast Records.
Links:
