Earth
Primitive and Deadly

Perhaps many have completely forgotten about them, but Earth continues to make albums, and the latest dates back to September 2014.

After the excellent "Angels Of Darkness, Demons Of Light" (Part I and II), this "Primitive And Deadly" couldn’t go unnoticed.

As they themselves stated, for this album, they decided to take a small turn, becoming a "traditional Rock band."

Of course, within certain limits; it's not a simple Rock album, nor is it the usual Drone, not from the early works and, in part, not even from the latest ones.

After almost 10 years of exclusively instrumental music, they return to using vocals in some tracks: the voices lent are those of the likes of Rabia Shaheen Qazi (from Rose Windows) and Mark Lanegan, who hardly needs any introduction.

Almost 50 minutes of music for a total of 5 tracks, of which only 2 are instrumental. The atmosphere is partly western and partly desert-like.

The imagery could be the following: the slow advance of a man on horseback wandering through desert landscapes under the scorching sun.

The instrumentals "Torn By The Fox Of The Crescent Moon" and "Even Hell Has Its Heroes" partially follow the western sounds of the two previous albums, yet exhibit more guitar virtuosity and a heavier, more classic Doom Metal approach.

With "From The Zodiacal Light", space is given to the semi-gritty voice of Rabia Shaheen Qazi, with a Stoner flavor. A track that feels somewhat influenced by Psychedelic Rock, brought by Rabia herself.

We all more or less know the capabilities of Mark Lanegan's deep and hoarse voice. In "There Is A Serpent Coming", perhaps the least striking track, Mark embodies a venomous snake announcing its coming.

The highest point of the album is reached with the concluding "Rooks Across The Gate", the epitaph of many gunslingers who died in those deserts, crows fly over the corpses, and Mark's voice accompanies the scene, with an almost Blues touch.

Highly recommended.