Earth - Angels Of Darkness, Demons Of Light Vol. 1

Well, this is a new blog made simply for us to review various albums that are released throughout the year, for the sake of doing it. Starting fresh at the start of 2011. So here is the first review:

Earth - Angels Of Darkness, Demons Of Light Vol. 1
Scheduled Release Date: 7th February 2011 on Southern Lord Records

When I heard this album was coming out I was very excited about it as I had loved their last release, 2008’s The Bee’s Made Honey In The Lions Skull, and I must say, straight from the off, it did not disappoint. The opening 2 chords of Old Black alone made me know this was going to be a great album and it continued suit. It’s dark, mellow, hypnotising melodies on guitar and bass and the slow, simplified drums weaving in and out of eachother flawlessly sent me into a great trance, making me feel as if i was in another world, with the cello only adding more power and feeling to it all.
Father Midnight’s name suits it perfectly i think as it is a much darker, more evil sounding song, and fades out wonderfully into another spacey track Descent to the Zenith, which which has a similar vibe to the last album, in a very good way. As does the track Hell’s Winter, even if it does sound very similar to the song Engine of Ruin on their last release, but I dont think this takes away from the album as a whole at all.
This is a much more natural, organic sounding album, there are a lot less instruments on it than there were on The Bee’s, and the focus is more on the main 4 instruments with this one; guitar, bass, drums and cello, and if anything the rawness strengthens it as a whole, and gives it a more imperfect beauty. There’s no hidden parts that you will only notice on repeat listens, and its all about the sound now. It’s as if they’re just jamming right in front of you.
But just as you think you have gotten into the flow of this album and you think you can just mellow out to the rest of it without paying much real attention, it catches you straight off guard with the intro bass on Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light 1 and it echoes through your mind with a prescence that cannot be ignored and it snaps you out of the trance it sent you in and makes you pay attention. And as the guitar and cello cautiously quiver in the background waiting to be ushered in by the drums, it continues with that same power and beauty that that the rest of the album has had and it makes you ask yourself one question: How long until volume 2 comes out?
This album has entranced me, and I know I will be listening to it for many weeks to come, its ethereal sound of which Earth are very accomplished at now has grabbed me once again just as it did with their last effort, in fact considerably more so, and I applaud them.
9.5/10

Bryan Shuttleworth.