Angels Of Darkness, Demons Of Light 1

After a five-year absence, Earth is back with the two-chaptered album *Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light*. And it sounds as though in the half-decade between 2008’s *The Bees Made Honey in the Lion’s Skull* and this recording, Dylan Carlson may have hocked much of his distortion pedal collection. But even as twangy guitars resonate with Ennio Morricone–style tones, the opening song, “Old Black,” is still heavy and sluggish, thanks in part to tension between drummer Adrienne Davies and new bassist Karl Blau. The following “Father Midnight” exercises even more restraint. Its scales seem tipped toward the negative space that make the plodding rhythms here incredibly suspenseful, with Lori Goldston’s cello adding palpable texture. Vamping on minor-chord blues, “Descent to the Zenith” proves that you don’t need blown-out Black Sabbath–derived sludge to sound sinister. And this one plays with such brooding moods that it would make a perfect score to a remake of an old horror-western film like *Haunted Range*.

After two more personnel changes-- including the addition of Karl Blau on bass-- Earth return with a fresh context and complex, counterintuitive choices.

Whilst Earth’s latest may sound like no great departure for those casually familiar with their sound, particularly in the last five years, those who have paid closer attention will find a lot here to explore. The dense sound of The Bees Made Honey in the Lion’s Skull is now gone, as is most of that album’s roster, to be replaced with a more spacious sense of instrumentation, and with cellist Lori Goldston (Nirvana), and bassist Karl Blau (K Records) adding their wealth of experience to the dynamic.

Drone metal pioneers Earth return with their best album to date. <strong>Jamie Thomson</strong> is stunned