Earth Eighteen
Butterfly

THE REVIEW

Just like the lifespan of a butterfly, the discography of the New York trio Earth Eighteen begins in the fall of 1995 with the release of the album "Butterfly" and quickly (and inexplicably) ends in the winter of the same year. Supported and praised by critics (at that time everyone was frantically searching for The Next Big Thing post-Nirvana, amidst a full 70's revival with Britpop), the recipe proposed by Earth Eighteen consisted of a shameless return to the origins of glam rock and the futuristic and sci-fi visions of the science fiction imagery ("Earth 18" is the title of a '66 sci-fi story by Frederick Pohl).

Despite the hardcore punk past of vocalist Jon DuPree with Void, bassist Graham McCulloch, and drummer Mark Kermaj with Negative Approach, the trio's transition to glam rock meant not only a revival of glam fashion with a space style, complete with makeup and colorful hair, but musically it was above all an overt homage to Marc Bolan.

Jon DuPree saw in Marc Bolan’s style, more than Bowie’s, a matchless model of pop composition between outrage and catchiness, which is found as a target hit by Earth Eighteen with "Butterfly." A debut album that immediately raised eyebrows among those who saw them as the latest novelty after Nirvana (indeed, they were right, they weren’t at all) but which, however, we do not feel should be consigned to oblivion.

For example, The Fall Divine is still a stunning love ballad; Blood Revival 99 is a story of space vampires dedicated to the world of T. Rex; as well as the theatrical classic-rock of Dolores Haze and Goin’ Steady, and the glam metal syntheses of Dahlia, The Girl With The Downward Smile, Maximum Teenage Overdrive, etc. In short, a band that could have really broken through by continuing on this path but dissipated far too soon despite the potential and ideas all present in this single proof of their career. What a pity!