Saturday 5 July 2014

Earthless Meets Heavy Blanket - In a Dutch Haze - Review

Earthless Meets Heavy Blanket - In a Dutch Haze cover art

Album Type: Album
Date Released: July 08th 2014
Label: Burning World Records/Outer Battery Records

Earthless Meets Heavy Blanket - In a Dutch Haze - track listing:
1.Paradise in a Purple Sky I
2.Paradise in a Purple Sky II 16:33
3.Paradise in a Purple Sky III
4.Paradise in a Purple Sky IV
5.Paradise in a Purple Sky - Parts I-IV

Bio

This July, a colossal collaborative concert, previously privy only to those who were fortunate enough to have helped fill a Netherlandic concert hall multiple moons ago, will be unleashed in awesome audio form as EARTHLESS Meets HEAVY BLANKET In A Dutch Haze. The out-of-this-world recording will see a July 8 release date via Outer Battery Records / Roadburn Records.

Back-story: an impromptu heavy psych JAM between J Mascis (DINOSAUR JR, SWEET APPLE, WITCH and one of both Rolling Stone and SPIN's "Greatest Guitarists of All Time") and California space rock masters EARTHLESS at the 2009 SXSW Festival left an onlooking crowd stunned and breathless. When word of the performance spread, the world-renowned musicians were asked to play the main stage of Holland's annual international rock festival,Roadburn, to attempt to recreate the magic that revved-up an Austin audience at what was thought to be a one-time event. 
 
Fast forward to the 2012 installment of the fantastic fest; when EARTHLESS' guitarist Isaiah Mitchell had to back out at the last minute due to unforeseen circumstance, six-string shredder Graham Clise from J Mascis' loud, psychedelic project HEAVY BLANKET (and who also plays with Mascis in WITCH and in the bitchin' Bay Area band LECHEROUS GAZE) stepped in on second guitar. Backed by the best rhythm section in today's adventurous rock world -- Mario Rubalcaba and Mike Eginton from EARTHLESS -- the quartet stormed the stage for an incredible performance leading to almost a full hour of some of the most mind-bending heavy psych imaginable. The epic jam session gave birth to shredding psychedelia and hard rock blues underpinned by the muscular rhythmic sensibilities of kraut-rock and the unbridled energy of 70's guitar rock. The formidable foundation laid by drummer Rubalcaba became a jumping off point for Mascis, Clise and Eighton to explore their inner cosmoi for consciousness-expanding riffs and music-induced psychedelic experiences.

Line-Up

J.Mascis
Graham Clise
Mike Eginton
Mario Rubalcaba

Review:

So one of 2014 eagerly awaited live albums is finally here. Earthless meets Heavy Blanket – Paradise In A Purple Sky. This is getting a whole load of praise within the Stoner Rock scene. It’s the live gig captured at Roadburn in 2012 when Heavy Blanket alumni - J.Mascis and Graham Clise joined forces with Mike Egington and Mario Rubalcalba from Psych Rock Riffsters – EARTHLESS. For one epic jam-based session that has gone down in modern musical folklore and legend. As we will never see an extended jam live session like this ever again.

Well 2 years later, here is the full 60-minute concert that went down on that fateful day. People who were in attendance this gig will have a story to tell their grandchildren. – They were there when Earthless meets Heavy Blanket and slayed everything before them at Roadburn 2012.

So what can you expect from this classic live album. Well that is simple. Four musicians from two amazing bands at the top of their game having a lengthy duel of sorts. To see who can play the heaviest and lengthiest riff. On this form, we will call it a draw though the audience and the listener are the real winners. It’s the journey that the band take you on as it’s pure psychedelic perfection as it’s one trippy powerful ride that will turn you into a shivering wreck.

You can feel the electrifying atmosphere that went down that night, as it is a constant attack of amazing riffs being thrown at you for an hour or so. It is a brilliant and thrilling experience that documents one of the most talked about gigs of the last few years. It is brilliantly produced from start to finish as you can hear the guys put their hearts and souls into this performance. Little did they know then in what they accomplished on tha fateful night and for the years to come. A classic live album that will rank aside Thin Lizzy’s Live and Dangerous, The Who – Live At Leeds and  Frampton Comes Alive. That’s’ how great it is. Awesome.

Thanks to Carl at Action PR for sending me a copy to review. Earthless meets Heavy Blanket – Paradise In A Purple Sky is available to buy on DD from BandCamp and CD/Vinyl from Burning World Records / Outer Battery Records

Written by Steve Howe