Did you know there are horses on the cover of Earth 2: Special Low Frequency Version? There are at least three in the right-hand corner, gathered inexplicably near a white canvas tent, a human possibly perched among its folds. As widescreen and vast as the cover may seem, those little details - the horses, the possible human, the faint wisp of white clouds - give it depth and wonder, something to which the imagination can return.
Repressed now for its 30th anniversary, back in its original artwork, and accompanied by a riveting set of remixes that demonstrate the reach of what Dylan Carlson long ago called ‘ambient metal’ - works much the same way? The surface is massive and obvious, the meatpaw riffs of Carlson and bassist Dave Harwell pounding and swiping and pawing at the speakers, a true bludgeon in three-dimensional sound. Listen, though, for the details in the corners, for the finesse beneath the force, and Earth 2 reveals new levels of depth and wonder.
Released: November 2023
Cat: PIASR510LPR
Label: Sub Pop
