Instrumental stoner rock is somewhat of an underutilized angle, Earthless and older Karma to Burn being the only exceptions to spring immediately to mind. And since Karma to Burn began utilizing vocals significantly on their most recent LP, this kind of leaves Earthless to both own their niche as well as shoulder the burdens of its collective expectations.
One thing that's not up for debate: this San Diego trio sure as hell doesn't get in a rush to put out another studio album. Fans have had a long slog since Rhythms from a Cosmic Sky, their classic sophomore album which came out all the way back in the halcyon days of 2007… did we even have internet yet back then? And how's this for unhurried: "From the Ages" the song, which is basically half the running time of the new album bearing the same name, was included way back on their 2008 tour document Live at Roadburn!
With the exception of "Equus October" – at 5:43 the shortest song on the album by more than half – From the Ages curtails their usual spacey vibe for relatively straight forward boogie riffs, which not only suits them to a tee but also gives Mario Rubalcaba a rare chance to really beat the shit out of his drums. Rubalcaba is a busybody journeyman that gets to show off his skills in numerous other projects (ie. OFF!, Rocket from the Crypt) but it's rare for his tenure in Earthless to see him turned loose to such monumental effect as found here.
Isaiah Mitchell seems likewise enthused about getting his blues guitar on, nowhere more unhinged than the 31-minute title track, a veritable clinic of Skynyrd/Foghat worship. His soulful string bends and lyrical licks seem deliberately calculated to compensate for the absence of vocals, and damn do they do the trick.
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