Earth
Extra-Capsular Extraction (CD) 1991 Subpop
Whilst "Earth 2" is considered Earth's greatest hour, on this debut, we see the beginnings of a band destined to become infamous for many reasons, most not related to music! Whilst on later releases Earth became known for its drum-less, vocal-less, droning style of riff-doom, on this release, whilst still droning away, they sound more like a "band" as we know it. There are drums and some vocals, albeit merely serving as a backdrop to the ever droning guitar and bass (bass and percussion on this album is handled by Joe Preston, later of Melvins, and his solo project Thrones). 'Extra-Capsular Extraction' has been described as "avant-garde grunge", and indeed the song structures and guitar sound, do take much from this Seattle based musical style. But Earth are truly a doom band. The oppressive and repetitive nature of the three tracks make you think of the world at its end, the inevitability of doom itself. But the songs are so long, the drone so pervading, that you feel as if that doom will never arrive. Imagine early Black Sabbath without Ozzy, played at 1/10th the speed, with a dash of Nirvana's "Bleach" album (also slowed way down) and you will be close to the 'Extra-Capsular Extraction' sound. This album was long considered a holy grail amongst doomsters and grunge lovers alike, as it was deleted in the mid 1990's. Now, thanks to Sub Pop, it has been re-released, and is available for ears the world over. Now there is no excuse not to add this seminal doom release to your collection.	1. A Bureaucratic Desire for Revenge Part 1 2. A Bureaucratic Desire for Revenge Part 2 3. Ouroboros is Broken Approx. 32 minutes
Guest Review by: Mark Bodossian
Earth 2 (CD) 1993 Subpop
Imagine how you would feel if the gravity of the earth would be ten times stronger than it is now. Your feet feel as if they are stuck in ten ton concrete. Your hands constantly seem to reach towards the ground. Your shoulders feel so heavy that you feel like laughing at Jesus' painful facial expression while he is carrying something ridiculous like a cross. Even if you make the biggest effort, you can't even take a step forward. Well, if it is possible for you to imagine something like that, then you might have an idea about the sound of Earth. Improbably slow and heavy guitar riffs and a bass vibe that sounds like an earthquake are exclusively used drenching the listener into an agonising experience, surrounding him with apocalyptic feedback sounds with a particular Sabbathian touch. How can one describe this? It's not possible to speak about music, since Earth makes f.i. Winter sound like a speed metal band. Instead it is an experience of never suspected gravity forces holding you captive in their almighty power. Painfully minimalistic, threating and dark sounds hold you in their grip until you confess that nobody can beat the sound of the planet itself when it comes to heaviness and primitive power. On this album you will find not a single voice, no drums, no keyboards, no special effects: only the pure, primitive forces of the earth making the heaviness worshipper like me bow in awe and greet the mighty planet....	1. Seven Angels 2. Teeth Of Lions Rule the Divine 3. Like Gold and Faceted Approx. 73 minutes
Reviewed by: Kostas Panagiotou
Phase 3: thrones and dominions (CD) 1995 Subpop
While Earth's early works explored the simulation of earthquakes, gravity forces and the weight of a million elephants sitting on your shoulders, 'Phase 3' finds the band with a new obsession: the simulation of winds. This results in a less heavy, but more atmospheric and laid back album. While 'Earth 2' left the listener with the feeling of being crushed by the revenge of the planet, which uses its gravity forces to make us pay for our incessant abuse of its resources, this album appears to be the other side of the coin, showing the enormous healing powers of the earth, as if one thousand winds are massaging your back at once. The relaxing riffs are more Sabbath influenced than ever. Dry and yet ethereal, they mumble you to sleep. Here and there we see some signs of experimentation, like f.i. the introduction of some drums and acoustic guitars, but Earth is an experimental band by its own nature, so this shouldn't be a big surprise. It's possible that some freaks of crushing heaviness and unrelenting minimalism who hailed Earth's early works enthousiastically, shall be disappointed by this release. But if you are in search for an album which is able to cure your insomnia (without ever sounding annoying or irritatingly boring), you need no look any further. However, this work leaves me with another problem: how to label the relaxing semi-drone sound of this album? Perhaps the term 'tranquillity drone' could be an apt description…	1. Harvey 2. Tibetan Quaaludes 3. Lullaby (take 2 : how dry I am) 4. Song 4 5. Site specific carniverous occurrence 6. Phase 3: Agni detonating over the Thar Desert… 7. Thrones and dominions 8. Song 6 (chime) Approx. 55 minutes
Reviewed by: Kostas Panagiotou