Earthless
Sonic Prayer

A notable film from 1997, "Gattaca", depicted the protagonist's persistent attempts to fulfill his dream, cultivated since childhood, of immersing himself in the planetary space.

The Earthless (Isahia Mitchell, Mike Eginton, Mario Rubalcaba) seem borrowed from the cinematic context, and symbolically reflect that same obsessive purpose, namely to dive into the interstellar universe, among sparkling dust and incandescent meteors.

Hailing from the effervescent American indie circuit, specifically San Diego, they burst onto the music scene in 2005 with their first LP, "Sonic Prayer", achieving decent notoriety in the underground scene, from which they will hardly emerge due to a musical philosophy too distant from today's standards. "Sonic Prayer" showcases their Space-Rock formula, heavily rooted in Hard Rock-Blues; what easily emerges is the strong cohesion among the band members, who manage with great ease to construct compact yet not exhausting sonic textures, despite the track lengths; the Jam Session structure is indeed an important component of their music, also highlighting the risks of prolixity for tracks that reach up to about 20 minutes, but in their case are avoided by an overwhelming and impactful sound that engages the listener throughout the duration.

Thus begins "Flower Travellin' Man": an initial bass and drum groove seemingly borrowed from Led Zeppelin that repeats throughout the track, an intense use of all kinds of guitar effects giving the music that previously mentioned "cosmic" feel, and then Isahia Mitchell's guitar, on which much of the band's value rests, with Hard Rock riffs, digressions, distortions, and endless solos.

The second and final track, "Lost In The Cold Sun", features a sound that is less impetuous and flamboyant, more reflective and considered. The animalistic guitar instinct of "Flower Travellin' Man" finds more tranquility here, in a less delirious, more meditative structure, yet still highly psychedelic, with the bass-drum dialogue providing a backdrop.

The only perplexities concern a sound perhaps already too overused, which does not show much new; the references to the 70s are clear, with Led Zeppelin and especially Hawkwind at the forefront, creating patterns that Earthless merely re-propose in their own way, without too many innovations. Despite this, the ending, like the aforementioned "Gattaca", is to be considered a happy ending.

Earthless produce an enjoyable and worthy listen, and they indeed manage to offer us 40 minutes of stunning space explorations.