As springtime approaches and the land begins to thaw, exposing the decay and rot buried underneath months of ice and snow that comes to the surface contemporaneously with traditional harbingers of hope like budding flowers and robins' eggs, there is no more perfect time of the year to listen to Earth. Although the band was named as an homage to Black Sabbath, who were originally themselves called Earth, their name could not be more appropriate. Initially sounding like the music of tectonic plates, the band's latter day approach has been that of the earth itself slowly inhaling and exhaling as cycles of life and death pass over it. The band is often referred to as a doom band, nay, THE doom band, but that isn't entirely fair. Yes there is a sense of inevitable futility that runs throughout their music, and yes this is the music of rot and decay, but there are also moments of budding flowers and robins' eggs - there is hope and rebirth found throughout their subtle and slow as molasses guitar motifs. "Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light 1" is Earth's sixth full-length studio album, and third in the style of their groundbreaking "Hex; Or Printing In The Infernal Method," which found the band eschewing sustained crushing guitar riffs, which marked their earlier works, for a more spacious approach to doom that was indebted to blues and country more than heavy metal. Lead by the iconic Dylan Carlson, Earth has spawned a slew of imitators and artists deeply influenced by their music during both phases of their career. Sunn 0))) came together as an Earth cover band, and would eventually build upon the foundation that Carlson laid in the early 90s to make for some of the most creative, intense and heaviest music ever. Bohren And Der Club Of Gore married Earth's doom to jazz to craft the most unsettling dinner music since David Lynch engaged the talents of Angelo Badalamenti. More recently, the experimental duo Barn Owl mirrored Sunn 0)))'s appropration of Earth's style to craft something original as well, except unlike Sunn 0))), Barn Owl mined the sound that Carlson fomented on "Hex." These are just the first few bands that come to mind when I ponder Earth's massive influence, and there are many more. The fact is that Earth has influenced and continues to influence some of the best and brightest stars on the experimental/drone/ambient/metal scene.
On "Angels" the band sounds like the masters of the medium that they are. After a single listen it is clear that they are at the top of their game and still at the top of a heap of imitators. There are many bands that sound like Earth, but in the end there is only one Earth, and they remain the best at this sort of thing. The band has a knack for making doom soulful and alive, even when it lulls you into a trance, a feat not easily accomplished, and one that I cannot begin to dissect or explain here. Earth's music simply breaths in the most primal and natural way possible, and in that breath is life and death and everything in between. The epic scope and contrasts inherent within have never been more apparent as they are on "Angels," at the same time the band balances light and dark here better than any album previously. If "Hex" still had it's foot in the darkness of straight doom, and the band's follow up "The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull" tilted more toward a lighter blues and gospel approach, "Angels" is a perfect combination of the two; a perfect blending of doom and hope.
A noticeable difference in "Angels'" sound is the addition of cello as a prominent instrument. Cellist Lori Goldston adds a depth and density to the music that was not present before, and it is for the better. The masterful "Father Midnight" finds Carlson returning to motifs he first explored during "Hex," but with Goldston acting as a foil, there is a dynamic to and fro between his guitar and her cello that is absolutely mesmerizing. Carlson also taps into other genres beyond doom, country and blues throughout. "Descent To The Zenith" owes as much to psychedelia as it does to anything else. It's a track whose genius you realize once you pull apart and distinguish all of the different elements that make up it's seamless whole (psych, doom, blues, soul, ambient, folk, post-rock). Again, it's Earth, and no one does this sort of thing better than Earth.
"Hell's Winter" is the most muscular track on the album, but it is also one of the brightest and most victorious sounding pieces. It sounds like victory over death, one that has caused me to ponder the seemingly simple meaning of the song's title more than any healthy person should. The album ends with the titular track, which is the most experimental on the record. The twenty minute piece begins with a dark hazy guitar drift reminiscent of Loren MazzaCane Connors. As with Connors' work, the results are hypnotic. One can easily imagine one's self drifting afloat into the horizon on the last piece of ice left before the spring's sun melts it away entirely while listening to the track. As the piece progresses, bass and cello join Carlson until eventually it expands to include drums while still maintaining it's languid pace. The piece morphs ever so slowly throughout, touching on psych and ambient and changing in tone from light to dark like a cloudy day where the sun fights to break through, on occasion winning. The track ends with a dark shimmering almost drone-like epilogue that points to something else entirely.
It's been announced that there will be an "Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light 2" later this year, and given the inconclusive ending of "Angels 1" it is only fitting that this album merely brings us to the half way point of Earth's latest trek through the epic soundscape that they have created and perfected, and that so many other's have imitated.
"Old Black" live
"Hell's Winter"
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