Trading in three-minute punk songs for twenty-minute freeform space rock epics may seem like an unusual switch, but for Mario Rubalcaba, whose resume includes drumming with punk legends Rocket from the Crypt (as Ruby Mars), The Hot Snakes, and the Black Heart Procession plus a stint as a professional skateboarder for Team Alva in the 80s and 90s, it comes as naturally as breathing.
Rounding out the San Diego power trio Earthless are bassist Mike Enington from Electric Nazarene and Isaiah Mitchell on guitar (formerly a bass player with Nebula).
Their newest record, Rhythms From a Cosmic Sky, is infectiously good. Unlike a lot of 70s throwbacks, the album is actually an EXCITING listen. Crisp production, thick guitar tones, and a rhythm section that would make any bandleader foam at the mouth make you wonder whether you are supposed to grab your air guitar or your air drums first.
“Godspeed” is a five-part suite that begins with the spacey, noisy “Amplified,” breaks into a freewheeling intergalactic journey of sound, and comes down on “Cascade.” The laid-back, groove-oriented intro to “Sonic Prayer” sets the pace for psychedelic guitar meanderings before launching into a torrential attack that further showcases the virtuosity of all three musicians. “Cherry Red,” a cover of classic British band The Groundhogs, is arguably the best hard rock cover since psych-pioneers Blue Cheer took on Eddie Cochran’s “Summertime Blues.”
Though extended instrumental jams are not everyone’s cup of tea, you’d be hard pressed to find a rock fan that couldn’t get into the punchy rhythms and falsetto vocals on this track. (Lenny Kravitz, eat your heart out.) For a record you can wrap your head around that still grabs you at the core, this is not to be missed.