Earthship - Withered (CD Review)

01.Sanguine
02.Serpent Cult
03.The Garden
04.Dead Faint
05.Adrift
06.Throne Of Bones
07.Veil Of Gloom
08.Lament Of Torment
09.Emerald Blades
10.Withered


Jan Oberg (Guitar/Vocals)
Sabine Oberg (Bass)
Florian Häuser (Drums)
Marcel Schulz (Guitars)

Earthship was launched by former 'The Ocean' drummer, Jan Oberg, in the Spring of 2010. Their debut album "Exit Eden" was a trip through the vast black sea of doom, metal and prog n'roll, released on Pelagic Records in early 2011. The band played their very first show supporting Torche in Berlin in December 2010, followed by a monsterous tour with The Ocean and Red Fang in 2011.

Shortly before the tour, bass player Gutschke literally disappeared from the map and was replaced by Jan's wife, Sabine, on bass guitar.
2012 finally saw the band shrink to a three-piece: 'The Ocean' mainman Robin Staps, who had played with the band since the beginning, left the band due his commitments elsewhere later that year saw the release of second album "Iron Chest", where their abrasive, heavy custom sound had grown and reached a new level of intensity.
Now back as a quartet they have unleashed their latest album.

At only two and a half minutes i have to say that 'Sanguine' was a short and very uneventful piece, just growly vocals and slow drums with a simple riff played.

'Serpent Cult' is more stoner than doom, musically this could be early "qotsa", even the backing vocals remind me of said band, sure the lead vocal is gruff but the overall feel is stoner metal, the next song 'The Garden' is the same again.

In fact until we get to 'Emerald Blades' it all sounds like stoner metal, as to the track i just mentioned this one is a lot faster almost like a black/death metal song.

Then the song that is the title track, turns out not to be an epic 10 minute doom piece but a 2 minute instrumental with piano before launching into another death metal mini song!

Not what i was expecting at all, definatley not a doom album but a heavy stoner one!

Rating 8/10
For fans of: Kyuss, Red Fang, The Ocean, Down, Age Of Taurus, Mastodon