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.