Earthless have enjoyed a strong career to date, anchored for the most part in instrumental psychedelic rock. Their 5^th Studio album Black Heaven sees the band change things up a little. Black Heaven contains only two instrumental tracks – a bold move for a band whose niche in the market has been playing instrumentals. This marked change of approach  adds some extra intrigue to my first play through of Black Heaven.

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The album gets underway with Gifted by the Wind. The track starts with a groove of high hats and a wah drenched guitar line. From the get-go the song seems tailor made for cruising down the interstate with the wind in your hair. It’s a really concise and focussed track by Earthless standards, with strong vocal hooks and plenty of great riffs. It has  an undeniable ‘classic’ feel to it. That classic rock vibe continues in End to End & Electric Flame. The former which is almost a  ‘modern day Voodoo Child’ and the latter which sees the band construct a particularly big sound for a 3 piece.

There is no doubt that on paper adding vocals should ultimately make Earthless a more marketable band.  However for this to be true the vocals would have to be a good fit for the bands sound. Luckily for all involved Isaiah Mitchell has a great voice! At this stage of the release I’m really enjoying the soulful vocals which are carrying strong  melodies with great tone and phrasing.

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Earthless are often pigeonholed as a ‘Stoner’ band due to their drawn out  jams but personally I’ve been equally as comfortable categorising them as relatively traditional guitar focussed rock music.  The Stoner tag isn’t  totally misguided (there are no doubts that Earthless’ overdriven guitar tones and riffing will appeal to fans of ‘Stoner’ music), but I feel there is a significant part of their sound fits very comfortably along side Hendrix, Clapton (Cream) and Page (Zeppelin).  This classic vibe is particularly evident at this stage of Black Heaven.

Volt Rush & Black Heaven see things go back to more familiar territory. Both  instrumentals showcase the sort of arrangements which have been Earthless’ calling card throughout their career. The tile track in particular is a masterclass in instrumental jamming. Isaiah Mitchell’s lead guitar playing is the standout feature of the bands sound and I really admire his approach on these two tracks in particular. He finds a refreshing balance of premeditation and spontaneity which isn’t often seen in the days of protools and home studios. Both tracks are strong compositions and maintain my interest with ease (not often the case for extended jams without vocal melodies).

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The Earthless new album “Black Heaven” will be available March 16th, 2018 via Nuclear Blast Records. Pre order your copy today HERE

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The album is closed out by Sudden End which is arguably my favourite track on the release. It’s slightly down tempo and has all of the sort of elements which will make it an Earthless classic for years to come. It seems like the perfect song to close out a live set. The vocals are a perfect fit for the mood of the song and the solos are  a standout, again feeling like they are largely heartfelt and improvised to a significant extent.

Earthless recorded the album at Rancho de la Luna Studios which has seen the likes of Queens of the Stone Age and Kyuss apply their trade. The production on this release is organic and suits the song writing particularly well. The band has written its most accessible release to date, but have done so without sacrificing their soul. The addition of predominant vocals is no doubt a well timed and premeditated shift, given that the album is set for major label exposure through Nuclear Blast. I have no hesitation recommending this release to anyone who enjoys Classic/Stoner or Psych rock.

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AMNPLIFY – DB