Earth

Hex; Or Printing In The Infernal Method

[4/5] As fans of this long-dormant Seattle band will tell you, it’s hard enough to believe there are already two new Earth albums out there, both of which are hypnotically rhythmic variations on the post-Black Sabbath drone of the band’s landmark, Earth2; but to get Hex; Or Printing In The Infernal Method and hear Dylan Carlson (guitar) and Adrienne Davies (drums) and guests conjuring an Ennio Morricone-style soundtrack to an imaginary western, complete with wind chimes, trombone and tubular bells, well, all bets are off. More strikingly, though, Hex may be the first Earth album with a sense of actual melancholic beauty-not the sort that comes from dropped guitar tunings or resonant drones, but the kind of bittersweet, deep-seated moodiness you need a storyteller’s voice to convey. (SOUTHERN LORD) Aaron Burgess