The resurgence of that classic heavy metal sound abounds in a huge way lately, though under the guise of labels like "stoner rock" and "doom metal." These bands take right from the pages of pioneers like Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus, and Blue Cheer, throw in a little 21st-century magic, and blam! Modern heavy metal, be it recognized in name or otherwise. So who do we look to for this revitalization of style? A good answer would be Ghost, Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats, Beardfish, or The Sword – all widely accepted and talked about fairly regularly bands. Dig a little deeper than that and you'll find Michael Amott's Spiritual Beggars, whose most recent record Earth Blues not only exemplifies the new wave of heavy metal, but just might be one of the best things you'll hear all year from start to finish.
Earth Blues is a zero bullshit record that rocks from start to finish without ever relying once on any kind of cheesy "rock n' roll" gimmick. Just looking at the music first, the record is flawless. While it's expected for Amott to lay down the catchiest, shredtastic riffs this side of the 70's, the real instrumental star on the record is Opeth's keyboardist Per Wilberg. There's not much in way of the tones Wilberg relies on (it's pretty much all Hammond B3 and Mellotron), but the way he wields them is astounding. From backing up the guitars and knowing when not to play, to taking the lead and hypnotizing you with swirling melodies, Wilberg does it all like the professional he is. Standing out head and shoulders above the rest of his shining moments on the record is the introductory lines of "Kingmaker," which could potentially be one of the best riffs to be jammed this year. As great as Wilberg is, the rest of the band keeps up just fine and adds their own killer flairs.
Topping off all that is new vocalist Apollo Papathanasio (Firewind), who croons and yells like an absolute madman singing on the most important record of his life. The best thing about Papathanasio on the record is that he seems to be very aware of when to go for it in terms of vocal showiness and when to just fit in and almost take a back seat to what's going on in the music. On that same token, the band is also aware of when to sit back and let him do his thing – it's all very compromising in the best way possible.
So why should you care about Earth Blues? Simple: it fucking rocks. If you're looking for a record straight from the 70's with a huge, roomy, natural tone and zero filler to be found, then this is for you. Earth Blues never slows down to see if you're still with it; it just barrels forward with reckless abandon until it's over.
9/10
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDb7r2E5qfw[/youtube]
