"We're all here because of Black Sabbath....thank you" - Dave Sherman
Nice little reissue that made its way to my hands via the band. Contained is Earthride's classic 2000 debut EP plus 3 very recent live tracks from the 2011 Stoner Hands Of Doom Festival in Frederick, MD. I specifically missed this fest because I was saving up to put a ring on my chica's hand, but I think the extra tracks on here themselves are a pretty damn good consolation prize.
Earthride has always been comprised of hardened veterans of the fabled Maryland/DC classic doom metal scene, known to most of the world through its deep association with the late great Hellhound Records. In many ways you might know what the general sound is if you're already familiar with the names, but Earthride has never been a band to ignore. It's good to once again hear the tracks that kicked off such a great career, but to my ears, I declare that the live cuts here are worth every penny and second spent acquiring this disc.
Each of the three cuts comes from each of the bands three stellar full lengths, and are played with pretty stellar precision. The tracks, which I believe are either fully or primarily from nothing but the soundboard, all have a jaw droppingly raw and primal quality that evokes strains of the legendary "Dread" by Solomon Kane (a grimy live doom track that serves as said band's only known output.....very worth finding for all metal aficionados).
My favorite part of the live tracks (and the old studio ones for that matter) is the visceral tone the guitar and bass achieve when they're playing in perfect lock step together. The resulting frequency sounds like it would shatter teeth and stop pacemakers, which, come to think of it, I'm sure is the intended effect. I really cannot do it justice without playing it for you, but I gotta say, I let out a pretty emphatic "ooooffffffff" when I first heard it.
Given the explosion of interest in all things doom since this was originally released, this is a great little trinket to pick up as an example of how it's done by the pros. This is so more than just buying a bunch of broken equipment and playing open drop B chords for 50 minutes. So loud, so alive, all heavy....
Staff Rating
4.30/5
User Rating
0/5
