It seems to be a good year for bluesy rock bands releasing albums with "Earth" in the title. Earth Rocker, the new album from Clutch, was released on March 15, and has been received very well. And about two weeks from now, on April 15, Spiritual Beggars will release Earth Blues.
I have heard the name Spiritual Beggars many times before. Their lineup contains some very well-respected musicians, with former Carcass guitarist/Arch Enemy co-founder Michael Amott and current Grand Magus drummer Ludwig Witt being their longest running members. Their current incarnation includes former Opeth keyboardist Per Wiberg, Arch Enemy bassist Sharlee D'Angelo, and former Firewind vocalist Apollo Papathanasio. But I skipped over Spiritual Beggars for a long time, partially because of the hit-or-miss nature of supergroups, and partially because my distaste for Arch Enemy leads me to be somewhat skeptical of Michael Amott's work (his time in Carcass notwithstanding). So Earth Blues is my first exposure to the group, and it is a veritable smack-in-the-face to my foolish ignorance. This is a very good album.
Riff-wise, Earth Blues sits somewhere between the bluesy stoner rock of Clutch and the hard-hitting prog of In Absentia/Deadwing-era Porcupine Tree, with the heavier moments adding some Grand Magus/Reverend Bizarre to the equation. That, combined with Wiberg's keyboards, leads to something similar to the harder moments on Riverside's Shrine of New Generation Slaves. Now, my favorite moments on SoNGS were the more atmospheric moments, but Spiritual Beggars just seek to rock hard and they are very successful at that. At times, the songs on the album seem to run together, but I think that's less because they sound the same and more because I'm just too busy getting sucked up in the rock.
The most surprising aspect of the album for me was Apollo Papathanasio's vocal performance. He trades in the smoother, more operatic style from Firewind for a grittier tone that is very similar to Chris Cornell, to the point where someone might confuse the songs on Earth Blues for a Soundgarden or Audioslave offering (seriously, 'Wise as a Serpent' could almost fit right into Out of Exile). Thankfully, he pulls off the new style quite well, and his performance is one of the brightest spots on the album.
If you've yet to listen to Spiritual Beggars, don't make the mistake I did and ignore them. If ass-kicking, hard-rocking riffs are what you seek, Earth Blues delivers in spades and you should check it out as soon as it is available.
