The Bug and Earth take the low road

Kevin Martin and Dylan Carlson, The Bug and Earth respectively, have been spiraling up and down this path for over two decades. Their list of achievements and accomplishments are too plenty to list here, but for context The Bug is better known for his dark, dubby electronic grooves, while Earth has run the gamut of drone and doom metal. Combining the two forces feels like an apocalyptic meltdown of tone and texture and a slow-burn assault on the senses - with a bit of irony sprinkled in for good measure.

On “American Dream”, dark meddling synths and guitar drones create an air of despair and hopelessness that swallows whole the suburban white picket fence and two car garage in the process. This new landscape curated by the duo is a dystopian industrial sediment left over from grinding our existence down to dust and replacing it with dark harmonies and massive textures that effortlessly hang in the air and stretch out for kilometers on end.

The title track is a 14 minute epic where subtle changes to the musical terra firm build the “Concrete Desert” until massive mounds of continuous sound permeate into our consciousness. It's the most uplifting track on the album and almost lends an air of hope and mystery about the future. Almost - the gorgeous dark undercurrent still looms large and the expertly crafted production ensures our senses are tuned to every nuance and note.

Concrete Desert is not intended to fade away and become background music or some meaningless soundscape. Rather, it's a captivating effort that leaves the listener exhausted, but ready to spiral again.