Earthless returns with the release of their epic new album, "Night Parade of One Hundred Demons," out today via Nuclear Blast. Composed of two monster songs: the 41-minute title track and the 20-minute “Death To The Red Sun,” the band takes listeners on a sonic journey inspired by an ancient Japanese legend - Hyakki Yagyō, or the “Night Parade of One Hundred Demons,” in which a horde of demons, ghosts and other terrifying ghouls descend upon sleeping villages at night, once a year. One version of the tale states that anyone who witnesses this otherworldly procession will die instantly—or be carried off by the creatures of the night. As a result, the villagers hide in their homes, lest they become victims of these supernatural invaders.
Buy Or Listen To "Night Parade Of One Hundred Demons" here: https://nblast.de/EarthlessNightParade
Given the record’s inspiration, it should come as no surprise that Night Parade Of One Hundred Demons strikes a more sinister tone than the rest of the band’s catalogue. “It definitely has a darker, almost evil kind of vibe compared to stuff we’ve done in the past,” Rubalcaba says. “There’s more paranoia and noise, and some of Isaiah’s whammy-bar stuff kind of reminds me of these Jeff Hanneman moments in Reign In Blood, where it just seems like everything is going to hell. It’s pretty fun.”
When Eginton wasn’t tracking his bass parts, he worked on the album’s incredible sleeve art.
“I basically wanted to draw my interpretation of the folk story,” Eginton explains. “I started researching the different Yōkai—the demons—and really got into it. It was really cool reading about where they came from and what their interactions with humans were. Then I tried to create what I imagined the event might look like. I didn’t get a hundred in there, but I got quite a few.”
Their latest is a return to the epic instrumentals Earthless made their unmistakable name on, whereas 2018’s "Black Heaven" featured shorter songs and vocals from guitarist Isaiah Mitchell on much of the album—an unprecedented move for the trio. "Black Heaven" was recorded while Mitchell was living in the Bay Area, which made it difficult for the band to get together and work on the type of long instrumental pieces they’re known for. But, in March 2020 -- specifically, the night the pandemic lockdown kicked in -- Mitchell moved back to San Diego from the Bay Area. Bad timing, perhaps—or maybe perfect timing.
“With Isaiah here, we were able to get together once or twice a week to work on these jams,” Rubalcaba says. “We got back to our original songwriting process of just playing and building off each other little by little. And we actually had the time to do that, which was creatively inspiring.”
All told, "Night Parade Of One Hundred Demons" isn’t just a return to the band’s traditional format—it’s a return to their very beginnings. “This album actually has the very first Earthless riff in it,” Eginton reveals. “We just recorded it 20 years after we wrote it."
"Night Parade Of One Hundred Demons" was captured by childhood friend Ben Moore (Diamanda Galas, Burt Bacharach, Ceremony, Hot Snakes) and is available today via Nuclear Blast.
EARTHLESS SPRING 2022 EU/UK TOUR
Support: MAIDA VALE
28.04 Manchester, UK @ Gorilla
30.04 London, UK @ Desertfest London
01.05 Bristol, UK @ Thekla
02.05 Dublin, IE @ Whelan's
03.05 Glasgow, UK @ Stereo
04.05 Birmingham, UK @ Mama Roux's
05.05 Brighton, UK @ Chalk
06.05 Hasselt, BE @ Nox Tumultum
07.05 Nijmegen, NL @ Sonic Whip Festival
08.05 Cologne, DE @ Volta
09.05 Wiesbaden, DE @ Schlachthof
10.05 Rouen, FR @ Le 106
11.05 Paris, FR @ La Maroquinerie
12.05 Lyon, FR @ CCO
13.05 Bordeaux, FR @ Krakatoa
14.05 Madrid, ES @ Kristonfest
15.05 Porto, PT @ Hard Club
17.05 Montpellier, FR @ Victoire 2
18.05 Savona, IT @ Raindogs
19.05 Monthey, CH @ Pont Rouge
20.05 Munich, DE @ Feierwerk
21.05 Berlin, DE @ Bi Nuu **
22.05 Leipzig, DE @ UT Connewitz
** without MAIDA VALE
Visit https://www.earthlessofficial.com/tour-dates for ticket links.
