EARTH has been around in some form or another for a very long time. Let’s just say they are as old as dirt. Well with that poor pun out of the way, I think that we have already moved faster than some of the tracks on this disc.

EARTH was formed in the early 90s in Olympia, Washington by mainstay Dylan Carson. Carson has been joined throughout the years by many musicians, notables being Kurt Cobain, Kelly Canary (DICKLESS), and Tommy Hansen (THE FARTZ, CRISIS PARTY). As one might expect with a lot of lineup changes and guests, each EARTH release saw a different style of music. Their first release, “Extra Capsular Extraction”, featured Carson and Co. taking the heavy riffs of the MELVINS and BLACK SABBATH, slowing them down, putting them in a Juice-o-Matic, and creating some of the most primitive rumbly vibrations ever put to tape. As the years went by, EARTH released a drone record, (“Earth2”) a traditional rock record, (“Pentastar (in the Style of Demons)), and a live/demos disc, ("Sunn Amps and Smashed Guitars"). EARTH returns in ’05 with this, their sixth disc and yet another eclectic style twist. The shift this time... country and western?!? Yes, you heard it right. EARTH is back as a two-piece, and have taken a new direction. Carson seems to be able to shift his talents to sample different genres while retaining the interest, attention and praise of his fans. Together with Adrienne Davies on percussion, the band has taken on a new extreme of psychedelia and purpose, with definite roots / country overtones. This disc is composed of nine tracks, trying desperately to get absolutely no adrenaline flowing whatsoever.

As stated, this record has a decidedly ‘Americana’ flavor, one which takes traditional (older) country and western bites, removes tempo, vocals, over long epics with a total improvisational feel. The songs flow like pieces more than individual tracks. You can’t tap your foot to this stuff, but you could light up a fatty and get more understanding than I can give you with these words. My favorite section is “Raiford (The Fellon Wind), with its ode to NEIL YOUNG , and its repetitive, trance-like banjo strums. You can hear every note, every tambourine clap, every droning strum as the echoes and tremolos remind you of a tumbleweed blowing down a deserted street in the wild west. The lead guitar work here calls to mind classic Joe Perry, but much, much slower. “Tethered to the Polestar” is a good representation of the entire record; a collection of seemingly random notes with an abstract roots-rock flavor, the drums coming in at about the three-minute mark and pulling everything together. In a strange kind of way, I can understand where Carson is coming from.

EARTH is definitely not for everyone, but for something different, give it a listen. It just may help unwind your psyche after a long day, or maybe it will make you dream of killing a pet. At any rate it will affect you in some way, even if it is just a good nap.

- Murtaugh

OFFICIAL SITE: www.thronesanddominions.com

MP3 SOUND SCRAP: Raiford (The Felon Wind)

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