Earthless - Night Parade Of One Hundred Demons
CD Tracklist:
1. Night Parade of One Hundred Demons (Part 1) - Earthless (19.04)
2. Night Parade of One Hundred Demons (Part 2) - Earthless (22.08)
3. Death to the Red Sun - Earthless (20.27)
LP Tracklisting
Side A:1.Night Parade Of One Hundred Demons (Part 1) (19:04)
Side B:1.Night Parade Of One Hundred Demons (Part 2) (22:08)
Side C:1.Death To The Red Sun (20:27)
Side D:1.Etched
There’s An Ancient Japanese Legend In Which A Horde Of Demons, Ghosts And Other Terrifying Ghouls Descend Upon The Sleeping Villages Once A Year. Known As Hyakki Yagy?, Or The Night Parade Of One Hundred Demons, 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.
Such Is The Inspiration For The Latest Album From EARTHLESS. “My Son Is Really Into Mythical Creatures And Old Folk Stories About Monsters And Ghosts,” Bassist Mike Eginton Explains. “We Came Across The ‘Night Parade Of One Hundred Demons’ In A Book Of Traditional Japanese Ghost Stories. I Like The Idea Of People Hiding And Being Able To Hear The Madness But Not See It. It’s The Fear Of The Unknown.”
Whereas 2018’S Black Heaven Featured Shorter Songs And Vocals From Guitarist Isaiah Mitchell On Much Of The Album—An Unprecedented Move For The San Diego Power Trio—Their Latest Is A Return To The Epic Instrumentals EARTHLESS Made Their Unmistakable Name On. Night Parade Of One Hundred Demons Is Comprised Of Two Monster Songs—The 41-Minute, Two-Part Title Track And The 20-Minute “Death To The Red Sun.”
The Scenario That Allowed For This Kind Of Exploration Was A Stark Contrast To That Of Black Heaven. At That Point, 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, The Guitarist Moved Back To San Diego. More Specifically, He Moved Back The Night The Pandemic Lockdown Kicked In. Bad Timing, Perhaps—Or Maybe Perfect Timing.
Plus, They Were All On The Same Page About Not Wanting To Do Another Record With Vocals. “In A Way, I Think This Album Was A Reaction To Our Last Record,” Eginton Says. “Black Heaven Was Outside Our Comfort Zone. I Think It Was A Good Record, But It Was Challenging To Write Songs In A More Traditional Verse-Chorus-Verse Format. This One Was More Enjoyable. I’m Sure We’ll Do More Vocal Tracks In The Future, But For The Time Being I See That Album As A One-Off.”