Arc Tan Gent - Earthtone 9

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Groundbreaking
Lyrics	Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks	Flawless
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Outstanding
Value for Money	Good

Advantages:	An Excellent and Interesting album that's a Classic in its Genre .
Disadvantages:	It might be a Slow - Burner for some .

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

**ALBUM INTRODUCTION**
If you want to know what hard work is about, just take a look back at alternative metal band earthtone9. If they weren't touring they were producing first-rate albums (and they produced three in just over two years) and it is here that we look at their third and last album. It's was recorded at Philia Studios in Henley on Thames and Backstage Studios in Ripley with the production by the acclaimed Andy Sneap (who used to be in legendary 80's UK metal band Sabbat).

**ALBUM LINE-UP**
Karl Middleton (Vocals).
Owen Packard (Guitars, inc Bass).
Joe Roberts (Guitars).
Simon Hutchby (Drums).
Jamie Floate (Bass).
Fascinating Fact1 (lol): Owen actually played the Bass on 'arc'tan'gent'. When previous Bass player Graeme Watts left, they brought in Jamie Floate, but he only helped them out with a handful of gigs and although he is credited on the sleeve notes, he never actually played on it!

**TRACK LISTING**
01. tat twam asi
02. evil crawling i
03. p.r.d chaos
04. approx.purified
05. walking day
06. star damage (for beginners)
07. ni9e
08. yellow fever
09. alpha-hi
10. binary 101

**THE REVIEW**
This album surprised, even frightened a few people, as it showed a level of maturity and progression that is rarely even considered, let alone achieved in this genre. The band without doubt broadened and strengthened their overall sound for the better, and substantially built on the solid foundations of "lo-def(inition) discord" (album#1) and "off kilter enhancement" (album#2). They took greater chances, with a number of more probing songs, from both the band and the listener's point of view, chances that change the balance of their sound and finds them exploring further the delicate and tantalising side of their music.

However, for me it wasn't love at first sight as on the first couple of listens it was only the tracks that I'd already heard live that screamed for my attention. "tat twam asi", "evil crawling i", "approx.purified" and "star damage" all stood out and rocked, but that is less than half the album. The other tracks smouldered slowly and it wasn't until the fifth or sixth airing that it all made sense. Then the quality of song such as "walking day", "yellow fever" and in particular "binary 101" start to shine through, burning deep into your mind. I guess the point is that the album as a whole takes time to get into, it's not instant so don't force it, give it space and it will pay dividends.

The standard of musicianship here is breathtaking; you can feel the evolution of talent from each and every band member. Karl shows he has an awesome voice that can truly sing as well as cremate with growling intensity. Simon's drumming really impresses with not just quality, but also invention. Then there are the guitars of Oz and Joe that range from generating pure energy to crafting passionate character. On top of all that the production is superb, with Andy Sneap doing a fine job of bringing out the earthtone9 sound without influencing it too much.

The only worry is that it is too easy not to give the album the time it deserves. It's just that it may take a while before it gives back and this is something not always considered by many of today's MTV generation of music fans. I've found from experience, albums that take very little effort to get in to are the ones that I soon get bored with. Conversely, the ones that take a few plays before you discover what they're really about are the albums that stay with you for life - the classics - and for me this album has that feel about it, the feel of a classic in its genre!

**tat twam asi**
The first track on the album and particularly the lead-in vocals impart you with a reassuring but false sense of security, a gentle melodic skip down an English country lane. Then before you realise, the ground beneath your feet has opened up and you are plunging into a chasm of sound, the intense power of guitars, drums and ripping vocals. Plunging to your death maybe or as the lyrics say ...'as we move through consciousness'… but then you are floating on a breath-taking chorus as it latches on to your soul and entwines itself into your mind and will not let go, it just constricts tighter and tighter.

This song is so anthemic, it has a splendid fusion of traditional rock values and modern metal rawness, mixed in a hardcore blender. A song that also worked very well in the live environment, it is truly a pleasure to listen to. Fascinating Fact2: The title (tat twam asi) is a yogic term that apparently relates to the ultimate sense of enlightenment.

**evil crawling i**
This song starts with a riff that stalks low in the grass before pouncing on you as the drums kick-in. Once pinned down then the vocals just tear out your jugular. The riff remains king until it breaks into a soothing melodic chorus but only for an instant as the jaws of the returning riff sink deeper and the vocals rip still further. The drums throughout keep a pacey rhythm but it's the slick cadence change that infiltrates almost at the death, finishing off any remaining desire to struggle.

This track shows a good amount of the earthtone9 that I love but also hints at the way their music was progressing. One of the more straight forward and aggressive tracks on the album, it helped bridge the gap between old and new material.

**p.r.d chaos**
An upbeat riff (almost "U2" in style) opens the song, initially fooling you, before diving into a deep valley of slow atmospheric and moody guitar combined with ghostly vocals; the song turns almost Tool-esque. Gliding on the breeze, a smooth turn and we are quickly soaring high into the air launched from the drums on a driving riff centred around a powerful chorus ...briefly... before returning back to the hollow where the atmosphere is restored. But it's not for long as the zenith makes a gesture and we're heading off toward the skies, powering higher in a steady rhythm before disappearing into a fading light.

Definitely a lighter moment, but still keeping its energy and heaviness, this was the first track to have some assistance from Ishmael Lewis (Liberty 37).

**approx.purified**
From the outset this is immediately in your face, the anger and aggression pours out giving a deep sense of belligerence, but carrying a majestic atmosphere and then into the earthtone9 eastern signature. This song is like an intensely enraged Englishman on a cheap package holiday in Turkey ... it doesn't apologise for what it is, it pushes you aside if you dare to challenge, but when it calms down it is as gentle as a lamb and looks further than the cheap beer and sunshine and drinks the culture instead.

This is more of a straight forward growl, but the mix of violence and ambience on display demonstrated the bands ability to produce more than one dimension in their music. That aggression allowed it to play very well in the live environment and it became a crowd favourite. It's a track that has grown more and more on me as I realise its brute power, to the point where it's tugging at the tails of my favourite two or three et9 songs.

**walking day**
A gentle and very melodic beginning, again managing to create an enchanting atmosphere, and building up a gradation of textures in the song including (dare I say it) some stunning vocals. It has fine melodic guitars, rambling bass lines, tight drum patterns with masses of symbols and all controlled by vocals to die for. There are highs and lows that more than once conclude in a sea of earthtonal feedback.

This is a genuinely well crafted song, layered with skill and it punctuates this album so well. It is a quieter and more mature component, positioned perfectly and helps accentuate the uncontrollable anger and brutal elements that still dominate the album.

**star damage (for beginners)**
A voice clearly from planet Cylon performs the introduction (which goes to show how far this bands popularity spread). A cracking riff opens and no messing the band go straight to business, this shows the pure essence of what initially attracted me to earthtone9; the full on aggression and intensity that they produce. If that was not enough, those superb drums, sliding into tempo changes mid-verse just adds a desire to hear it again, as they key the whole sound together with the slickness of the rhythm. But, then there's the chorus, it's so catchy, so memorable, mixing and contrasting with the verse, like pleasure and pain. Probably my favourite track of the album and it is definitely one of the more easily accessible songs.

**ni9e**
This is where we find Simon entertaining the Cylon that introduced 'Star damage'. Not just in any fashion, oh no, he generates an almost alien sounding drum fest of sampled madness and not content with that, apparently invites a friend in the semblance of Gemma from Imogen (ex-Chasm). It is here they create a curious hors d'oeuvre for the next track.

**yellow fever**
For me this shows the second glimpse of Tool influence on this album. It's an unhurried smouldering song that takes a winding path, snaking through so many excellent melodies and in doing so building up a tremendous ambience ...'and you can blame the weatherman, but it's pouring down inside'... This is also the second song with a contribution from Ishmael Lewis (of Liberty 37 fame) and this time he has written and performed the vocals. And exceptional they are to, complimenting the album nicely, but giving an extra facet to an already gleaming diamond.

**alpha-hi**
A solitary guitar opens, then bass and drums enrol into a discharge of sound as the song briefly opens up, before changing for more of that earthtonal eastern feeling. This is the pattern of the song that slowly builds to a climactic crescendo and an abrupt ending, and where the vocals fluctuate between the eastern wailing and gruff Middleton growls. If I am honest, I think this is actually my least favourite track, as it doesn't hold my attention and has nothing really outstanding to commend it. It not a bad track, it's just that the standard of this album is phenomenal and it becomes a little jaded in rich company.

**binary 101**
Gentle pulsing guitar notes tentatively feel their way to begin, tendrils that reach out to an exotic and most familiar riff that brings to mind a well thumbed Page from the book of DADGAD. A curling bass pulls in the vocals, which are full of feeling and emotion. It builds, as a heavier chugging guitar joins and then after opening up briefly it returns to the sonic vocals. Smooth and dynamic they touch you ... tonal ... all the time building ... atmospheric, soaring textured chords and complimentary rhythms make the story unfold. Some fine fretwork and first-rate vocals adds to the momentum as the crest is reached. Then the most spine-tingling riff waves you goodbye and dissolves everything except the drums that are left standing alone.

This is superb and gets better the more I listen to it. An absolute milestone in my book, although atypical for the genre, it just demonstrated the progression of this band. At over 8 minutes long it's a structured and very mature song, another well written piece and a cool classic that brings a gratifying ending to an excellent album.

**SUMMARY**
And so we have to close this final chapter in the book of earthtone9 evolution. It was a chapter that unearthed an album that contains a plethora of melody but without losing the important aggression, attitude and power. It was one that took a few chances but showed a huge progression both individually and as a band. And one that produced a damn fine album, an album that I can't recommend highly enough and an album that is going to live with me for a long, long time.

- This was the third and last album from earthtone9.
- Produced, engineered and mixed by Andy Sneap.
- Originally released on the 25th September, 2000.
- All song were written by earthtone9 (except lyrics for 'Yellow Fever' by Ishmael Lewis).
- Recorded and mixed at Philia Studios, Henley and Backstage Studios, Nottingham.
- Album length: 47mins 28secs.

The original release for this album contained a substantial booklet that enclosed a collection of excellent picture panels for the songs - I believe further pressing of the album just had a standard double page opening sleeve, so look out for the original release copy as the Ian Field-Richards (@bluemonkey) artwork is well worth it.

**BAND BACKGROUND/FURTHER INFORMATION**
Starting with some personal thoughts about the band:

...earthtone9 at their periphery were unprocessed, hard hitting, alternative metal, but more than that there's an encroachment outside of the unspoken protocol of the genre...

...their ability to explore beyond the expected often uncapped a flow of melody and refinement that allowed their style to cultivate and foster a nucleus in areas that would be left desolate by all others...

...they did have murderous aggression and always excellent style, but they also had a hunger to progress, evolve and push those boundaries...

...their objet d'art was an aural mauling of noise that has ever changing rhythms, beats and tempos, sometimes melodic and meandering, sometimes full on, but always a massive sound and the most intense vocals that just liquefy your mind...

Earthtone9 were an alternative metal band based out of Nottingham, England. They were formed sometime during 1997/98 largely from their previous band called Blastcage. They brought great pleasure to the UK and European rock and metal scene for more than four years and it was a sad day on 13 April, 2002 when they decided to disband albeit on friendly terms, due to 'irreconcilable differences'. They were inexcusably never given the opportunity to have a crack at the American market, arguably produced their best work with the last album and produced some of their finest performances on the last tour. They were one of the hardest working bands I have ever come across and were continually on tour during the bands existence, but in the end this may have added to their demise, as weariness and widespread scepticism finally took its toll.

It was widely reported that earthone9 got their name from a song by a band called 'Helmet' entitled "In the Meantime" from their 1992 album "Meantime". An extract from the lyrics goes as so: "Earth tone suits you, So give it a smile, If I could hold your feet down, Get to know for awhile…" There is another theory that the name was created from the fact that the Earth naturally vibrates at is 9hz, but it was never actually confirmed by anyone in the band.

They were influenced by bands such as Tool, Alice in Chains, Helmet, Metallica, The Police, Faith No More, to name but a few, but sounded absolutely nothing like any of them (except only in some songs you may feel the Tool influence).

The final line-up consisted of: Owen Packard (guitars), Joe Roberts (guitars), Karl Middleton (vocals), Dave Anderson (bass) and Alex Baker (drums).
Other significant members were: Simon Hutchby (drums - left July 2001) and Graeme Watts who played bass on the first two albums.

**ALBUMS**
Arc'tan'gent (COP017 - Rel: Sept 2000 Copro Records).
Off kilter enhancement (COP010 - Rel: Feb 1999 on Copro Records).
Lo-def(inition) discord (COP007 - Rel: Aug 1998 on Copro Records).

**OTHER RELEASES**
Hi-Point EP Re-mastered (Cat No: COP034 - Rel: Aug 2004 Copro Records).
Omega EP (Cat No: COP021 - Rel: Apr 2002 Copro Records).
Hi-Point EP (Cat No: COP015 - Rel: Apr 2000 Copro Records).

**AVAILABILITY**
Arc'tan'gent looks to be currently unavailable from the label. Perversely, it appears that the album is now easier to get new as an American import (Label: Abstract USA) than direct in the UK. However, second-hand copies still quite regularly appear on eBay and can normally be bought for around £5 (inc P+P).

**BUYING NEW: (RRP £12.99)**
www.101cd.com (UK) £11.99 inc P&P
Just Like Heaven (Italy) www.netsoundsmusic.com - ABSTRACT import £7.61 +P&P
DVDSource.co.uk - COP017 £9.99 inc P&P
Store 4 CDs www.store4cds.com £12.95
Action Records £12.99

The band two other albums and both EP's are still available from Copro Records direct (www.coprodirect.com):
Hi-point CD EP £4.99
Lo-def(inition) Discord CD LP £6.99
Off Kilter Enhancement CD LP £6.99
Omega CD EP £4.99

**END OF TRANSMISSION**