Yet another strong release. Anybody planning to review it? Here's my review of the album. I wrote and posted it on RateYourMusic.com (as I do with most of my reviews) so I couldn't submit it for MS, but this'll do:
"It's Earth. I can't say I'm surprised, but I'm not disappointed either.
You know the drill by now: slow, Morriconesque guitar riffs repeated over and over again, and a touch of cello for flavor. Despite the popular tag, Earth haven't played drone in years. Instead, you can expect a rock band playing with a minimalistic ambient approach. I can see the post-rock connection, but it mostly boils down to "instrumental, atmospheric music played with rock instruments." You won't find crescendos, walls of sound, quiet-loud dynamics or anything of the sort here. The only track that grows and builds tension along the way is the monumental title track, and even then it's quite subtle. In real Earth fashion, the slow build-up is let go of around the 16:30 mark and all that tension disperses as quietly as it appeared. The listener is teased with the hint of a climax that never comes. It's a fitting end for an album that is essentiallly anticlimatic.
The appeal of the album is in the nostalgic Sphagetti Western soundscapes and most of all the mesmerizing riffs. The opener Old Black is a highlight in both respects. It's one guitar motif repeated over the first six and a half minutes and then another riff for the last two. The cello weaves a sad background and the drums do their job subtly and elegantly. It's a really simple song but it's so good it could easily go on for double the length and I wouldn't get bored. The three tracks between Old Black and the title track are all solid but fail to make quite as memorable an impression. Hell's Winter does have a wonderfully warm and low, bassy sound. Play it on good headphones and it's like velvet in your ears.
Yeah, we've heard this all before. But there's no reason not to want to hear more Earth, and Angels Of Darkness, Demons Of Light I is pretty much as good as any of their albums. It has its distinct character and sound, but it's not too distinct to really tip the scales one way or another."