Album review: Kanaan – Earthbound

The prospect of an album of instrumental prog-stoner work-outs is not something likely to get many pulses racing. Similarly, records made by prodigiously talented musicians can suffer from an emphasis on technicality over soul, particularly when lyrics and the human voice are absent from proceedings. That Earthbound largely enthralls is testament to a newfound willingness on the part of its creators to cut loose – and deliver massive riffs.

On previous offerings, Norwegian trio Kanaan have tended towards a jazzier vision of rock, whereas here the thunderous fuzz of Return To The Tundrasphere is fuelled by thick-but-piercing lead guitar lines. Any lingering hints of politeness are swiftly dispelled by the distorted psychedelia of Pink Riff. This admirably wayward freak-out serves as an extended intro to Bourdon, a lengthier jam which maintains a sense of spontaneous-sounding excitement throughout its duration.

Things get even weightier in the album’s second half when the mellow Mirage – another three-minute tune which feels like an interlude between more epically-inclined tracks – gives way to the lumbering dirge of the appropriately sludgy Mudbound. Crash offers the sort of slow-build, humming-amp doom that you might expect from Electric Wizard or Monolord, before seamlessly segueing into the cosmic swirl of hypnotic closer No Star Unturned.

This ability to range across a breadth of high-volume modes is evidence of Kanaan’s musical prowess, and there are few occasions when you find yourself pining for vocal contributions. The two longest tracks would perhaps benefit from some judicious editing, but even that speaks of the trio’s winning tendency to lose themselves in their work. Four albums in, Kanaan have redefined their horizons with this collection of hefty grooves.

Verdict: 3/5

For fans of: King Buffalo, Kyuss, Earthless

Earthbound is released on November 12 via Jansen