Never the most prolific of bands, Earth’s brand of ambient metal is mainly the project of Dylan Carlson. Formed in Olympia, Washington, in 1990, the band relocated north to Seattle where they signed to Sub Pop Records. Their 1991 debut, the 32-minute, three-song Ep Extra-Capsular Extraction, featured contributions from Carlson’s friend Kurt Cobain. Earth 2: Special Low Frequency Version, a 73-minute song in three movements, continued the band’s obsession with repetitious, riff-heavy drone rock. After several aborted attempts in the studio, Phase 3: Thrones And Dominions was finally completed in 1995. Carlson disappeared from view in the late-'90s, dealing with his substance abuse problems; he eventually re-emerged in 2005 with Hex (Or Printing in the Infernal Method), favoring short country-influenced songs over the drone of earlier releases. ~ John Bush