Earth – Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light I

Earth – The one essential band that every single human needs to hear before they pass away. No matter how old or young you are, Earth is the type of band that will give you everything you need on a record plus fill your heart with dark matter for later use when you’re hungry. Since the band formed in 1990, Dylan Carlson is the only original member and the mastermind behind everything this band has released or will release as Earth. With “Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light I”, the sixth full-length from Earth, I’m learning that this bulldozer of a band is only going to release a record every 3 years or so. That’s fine with me since each record puts me in a state of haze and makes me feel like I’m on a natural high.

“Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light I” gives you that bluesy-doom that we all love, only thing is that Earth puts some country influence into it this time around. Most say that “Old Black”, the first track on the LP, is the best on the album. Maybe because it’s the most upbeat track and has the most going on with the whole country vibe this album gives off. “Old Black” seems to be something your grandfather would listen to while he sat on the front porch, daydreaming of how much he misses the old western days. It reminds you of riding on horseback, shooting things out of the sky, hell, it even reminds me of Bonanza or Tombstone. Another valued instrument on this record is the cello, without it this record might not sound the same. Lori Goldston is the type of woman that will put you to sleep like a baby once she starts playing her cello, gives me goosebumps just thinking about it.

I’ll admit this, the album is very slow, gloomy and you might doze off a couple of times while you listen to it but it’s a solid record. When you want Earth, you want 25 minute tracks of nothing but slow, hard-hitting chords, not some fast, horrible noise that I can get when I listen some other horrible records. “Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light I” is filled with abstract and experimental tones that seem to bring everything together. The way everything mashes is interesting and praise-worthy, in my opinion. Some have said that this record is perfect for background music at a lounge or something you might play after you bring home a sexy woman. I have to disagree, this record is phenomenal, it gives me that urge to build a realm filled with candles, just a place you can lay and let your mind go into outer space.

I don’t recommend this album to first time listeners of Earth, those people might wanna check out “Phase 3: Thrones and Dominions” or “HEX: Or Printing in the Infernal Method”. “Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light I” is something for those die-hard Earth fans that love everything this band does, if you love this record it will be playing over and over in your car/house. Earth – The one band that will never let me down, the one band that when everything else has gone to shit, they will lift me up and make me pray to the drone Gods for something this spectacular. Well, looks like I have a realm to build, filled with candles and incense that will make the most beautiful of woman want to lay with me. Earth – Creative masterpiece that will make the heavens separate while the children below sing in chants.

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