Live music review: Drone Metal legends Earth performed quadraphonic show at Oblivion Access Fest

Have you ever seen a show in a church? What about a show in a church equipped with a psychedelic light display while a classic drone metal band plays their classic album in its entirety? For Seattle’s Earth, the drone legends did just that, which included a performance of their classic 1993 debut album, Earth 2, in its full glory for the record’s 30th anniversary at Central Presbyterian Church. This show was oozing in exclusivity, with only special ticketed media and audience members who enthusiastically paid for a performance that might never happen again. Some fans found themselves shut out of the showcase, but luckily The Cosmic Clash was present to document a musical experience that likely would not be replicated in any other venue for years to come.

Central Presbyterian Church in downtown Austin was packed to the gills in the early evening Saturday at Austin’s extreme music festival, Oblivion Access. It was for a good reason when fans lined up early to get a good view of the stage. Earth was set to play a unique performance, with special guests that helped mimic every instrumental oddity on the band’s 30 year-old album to widespread acclaim. Bandleader Dylan Carlson did not take this mission lightly, as the band performed the classic release with razor-sharp accuracy. 

Earth was equipped with bass, guitars, percussion, and no vocals, as the album features instrumental tracks that leaves the music up to speculative interpretation. Festival officials seated seven people in each sanctuary pew, ensuring every fan had a proper seat at the sold-out gig. The Seattle act also promised an authentic quadraphonic stereo presentation of the record, which hasn’t been attempted since the album’s release in 1993. This meant surround sound to make it feel the audience was, for lack of a better description, living inside the record to be performed live. 

As fans filled the worship center-turned-venue, the heat inside started skyrocketing, negating any church air conditioning inside. Still, it beat standing outside in the summer heat. Before long, the lights dimmed, and Earth emerged from a door by the stage to perform their highly anticipated set. Even though the album being played in full is only a mere three songs in length, each piece feels like an album of its own, each presenting a unique chapter of sound that could be its own album, especially the last selection, which spans a whopping total of 30 minutes. “Seven Angels” opened the set, and like opening tracks like Radiohead’s “Everything In Its Right Place,” this opening number told the audience exactly what they were about to experience. 

When the music began, the performance the band had described started to make sense in a cathartic fashion. The sound was coming from every angle of the room, allowing the audience to hear each sound as originally intended. The music didn’t stop, with each song segueing and weaving together the trilogy of songs Earth had prepared for the audience. The psychedelic light show from a collaboration between Austin’s Mad Alchemy and Camel Lights was also a spectacle, making it a worthy addition to the jaw-dropping performance.

Earth crushed their set, making it sound like a symphonic piece that had been honed to Philharmonic-like perfection “Like Gold and Faceted,” as the closing track is a fitting name, as the crafted piece of music sounds like it was made by a stoner metal god who took write up writing symphonies.

When the performance came to a close, there was a standing ovation. The audience had just experienced an invaluable spectacle, something not to be replicated again in the near future. The performance felt like an academic retelling of a fable that’s existed for generations, and hell, this album has been around for 30 years now, and Earth took this performance with enough seriousness to prove its importance and influence over the years. When the audience departed, a feeling of satisfaction was in the air. One audience member was even overheard saying, “I don’t think I need to go to any more shows this weekend. That was THE one.” We could relate. 

All photos courtesy of Oblivion Access Fest (Andra Escobar) 

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