Earth - Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light II
Posted on 29th January 2012
Earth
Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light II
Southern Lord Records
Earth is guitarist-composer-conceptualist Dylan Carlson with subsidiary musicians, like a sun with tiny planets orbiting. In 1991 he changed heavy metal by reconceptualising it, filtering it through minimalism; he made it food for the head instead of for headbanging. After a multi-year break, Carlson returned in 2005, altered but undeterred in his minimalism.
Angels of Darkness is Earth's fourth post-break album and change continues, very slowly, like the music. Textures – the essence of Earth – that formerly were derived from sheer volume are now constructed from more sources. The simplicity and repetition remain, but the slow, glacial shifting consists of notes as much as harmonics, as was the case before. Metal riffs have gradually morphed into blues lines, Carlson's playing is growing – I can almost see a vision of John Coltrane's 'sheets of sound' somewhere in the future – and those orbiting musician-planets are growing in importance.
The addition of cellist Lori Goldston, replacing organ-horn player Steve Moore, is significant: he augmented; she adds. And new bassist Karl Blau, who we have seen solo and with Laura Veirs, is a stronger flavour in the recipe. Earth's music is like evolution: minutely slow, mesmerising, deeply fascinating to watch.
Earth comes to the Arnolfini in Bristol March 3, Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light II is out February 13
Charley Dunlap
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