As much as everyone likes acknowledge the fact that it takes a lot to put forth a crazy performance that is as dynamic as it is complex, it can sometimes be more difficult for plenty to make a work that’s intoxicating through relative simplicity. There are few things that can compare to a damn good riff, and while there are plenty that are able to bring them to life every now and then, there’s more than a little to be said about those able to just churn them out time after time. Whatever it was that went on in the seven years since their last creation, it’s clear that Beyond This Earth spent that time meticulously crafted this work to be a high-octane work of cyclical satisfaction that never knows when to stop.

It’s already one thing to find yourself in a sound that has been done arguably to death by many standards, but it’s another thing altogether to come around and make it feel fresh and invigorating once again with your own particular take on the sound. For all that has been achieved within the nine tracks of “Portraits of the Absurd”, it needs to be made clear more than anything else that Beyond This Earth has crushed it when it comes to keep things more than interesting in every given moment. Utterly gripping between its electrifying riffs and impeccably done grittiness to really keep the listener stunned before such a powerful concoction that keeps on giving, Beyond This Earth is nothing short of tantalizing throughout the whole of the performance. Effortlessly do you get sucked into the whirlwind that is constantly storming for the whole length of “Portraits of the Absurd” with every one of its tricks being something that demands your attention be it another delicious riff showcase, a pulled back state of euphoria and heaviness blended together for maximum effect, or an anthem that is nigh on infectious with it always playing on the very best of what stoner rock has always been in this particular corner of the sound.

Where many are more than capable of putting forth material that’s interesting but not always gripping, Beyond This Earth has crafted something that is simply exquisite to behold. There are long-time disciples of the smoke that holds the secrets of glory within this sound, and Beyond This Earth proves to be one of the deadliest disciples. For everything that was brought to the table for “Portraits of the Absurd”, Beyond This Earth capitalizes on each opportunity to no less than maximum effect.

LISTEN to “Portraits of the Absurd” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Beyond This Earth on Facebook here.