Various aspects unlikely to assemble in the first place congregate around this one. Find filigree sparkling guitar sounds in an almost surround sounding tone. Drums – forceful, resonant and yet well accented, able to take a step into the background rather than solely dominating through technical brilliancy. Spherical loop-like sounds with tons of reverb, to create a distinct atmosphere reminiscent of Kraut bands. The bass delivers a reduced and warm foundation to structures caressed by a tender and haunting voice. All of this like one, shifts from prog to the depths of metal at the exact right moment. Facets blend in to an extraordinary fascinating and coherent entity.
The instrumental opener “Origin” is a maelstrom of melody waves which work as a transition to the album’s first highlight: “Hiding”. A true ocean of a song measuring epic qualities with a tremendous amount of catchiness. This is a proper example of how Earthlimbs songs take their time to bloom, to develop and to grow in their dramatic art. Feeling and heaviness, harmony and dissonance all take hands in this surreal beauty of an album done by Patrick Hagmann (ex-Fear My Thoughts). He denied any sense of artistic compromises, while he single-handely recorded the opus in his “Black Halo Studios”. It seems relieving for a musician to finally live out his creative potential. He found support in Norman Lonhard (Triptykon, Pigeon Toe) on drums and Alex Bleiziffer (The Hellcall) as a vocalist. Every instrument else was handled by Hagmann himself.
The magnificent artwork was provided by his friend Markus Ruf (Fear My Thoughts). If you are willing to plunge into this lake of a record, you will be able to find a pool of neatly processed influences: From Pink Floyd, Alan Parsons Project, Porcupine Tree, Mogwai to early Genesis. On the last song “Wave” you can even feel the presence of a Jon Lord (Deep Purple) organ. Earthlimb’s “Origin” combines all these influences to a unique and powerful statement, which grows with every spin. The only thing essential to keep in mind: not unlike Jimi Hendrix’ music, this record is meant to be played on maximum volume!
