Pentastar: In the Style of Demons

Pentastar: In the Style of Demons is the third full-length studio album by the drone doom band Earth, released in 1996.[3][4] It has a more rock-oriented sound than their earlier drone doom work, although in a very minimalist style.[5] "Peace in Mississippi" is a cover of the Jimi Hendrix song.[6] The original vinyl release of the album has an alternative take of "Peace in Mississippi".

Pentastar: In the Style of Demons
Studio album by
ReleasedJuly 23, 1996 (1996-07-23)
Recorded1996
Genre
Length43:12
LabelSub Pop[1]
ProducerEarth
Earth chronology
Sunn Amps and Smashed Guitars
(1995)
Pentastar: In the Style of Demons
(1996)
070796 Live
(2003)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]

The car depicted on the cover is a "Sassy Grass Green" Plymouth Barracuda, with the car's iconic hockey-stick decal "Earth." The "Pentastar" named in the album title is an apparent reference to the brand logo of Chrysler, parent company of Plymouth, and also a reference to the fact that it is the fifth release by Earth.[citation needed]

Critical reception

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Rolling Stone wrote that "'Introduction' and 'Coda Maestoso in F(flat) Minor', which frame the album, are robust, majestic, Black Sabbath-esque riffs transformed into symphonic hot-rod music."[7] The Gazette declared: "As long as there are wood-paneled suburban basements, heavy amps, delinquent parents, quaaludes and beer, there will be a planet of Earths."[8]

Track listing

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All songs written by Dylan Carlson, except where noted.

No.TitleMusicLength
1."Introduction" 5:15
2."High Command" 5:50
3."Crooked Axis for String Quartet"Sean McElligot5:29
4."Tallahassee" 3:50
5."Charioteer (Temple Song)"Ian Dickson4:17
6."Peace in Mississippi"Jimi Hendrix5:56
7."Sonar and Depth Charge" 7:13
8."Coda Maestoso in F (Flat) Minor" 5:19

Personnel

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  • Dylan Carlson – vocals, guitar, vibraphone, piano
  • Ian Dickson – bass guitar, guitar
  • Sean McElligot – guitar
  • Michael Deming – organ
  • Michael McDaniel - drums

References

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  1. ^ "Earth". Trouser Press. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  2. ^ AllMusic review
  3. ^ "Earth Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  4. ^ "The Fangasm: Pentastar: In The Style Of Demons by Earth". DrownedInSound. Archived from the original on 2022-04-14. Retrieved 2022-04-14.
  5. ^ Earles, Andrew (September 15, 2014). Gimme Indie Rock: 500 Essential American Underground Rock Albums 1981-1996. Voyageur Press. ISBN 9781627883795 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ Coggins, Owen (January 25, 2018). Mysticism, Ritual and Religion in Drone Metal. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9781350025110 – via Google Books.
  7. ^ Hunter, James (Oct 31, 1996). "Pentastar: In the Style of Demons". Rolling Stone. No. 746. p. 66.
  8. ^ Lepage, Mark (17 Aug 1996). "EARTH Pentastar: In the Style of Demons". The Gazette. p. E7.