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
