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Earthless are the missing link between Sleep and Phish, between the Allman Brothers and Black Sabbath. And P-Funk. They’re the jam band metal heads are allowed to like, and vice versa.
On their third studio full-length, the San Diego psych/stoner band ditch the side-long suites of 2005’s Sonic Prayer and 2007’s Rhythms From A Cosmic Sky for four tracks ranging between five and a half minutes (Equus October) and the half-hour title track. The album cracks open with Violence Of The Red Sea, a raging 15-minute guitar solo courtesy of Isaiah Mitchell and one of the most head-bangingly fun tracks of the year. It is unsullied intensity, a forward thrust of widdly-widdly riffing.
From there, the band is more interested in dynamics, exploring the interplay between spaced-out droning and full-on shredding. It never really achieves the celestial heights of Cosmic Sky, every song after the opener feeling too much like an extended comedown, but From The Ages is an essential record for anyone who likes the sound of guitars sounding like guitars.
Top track: Violence Of The Red Sea
