THE EVACUATION OF EARTH
mymwly0003
2004
@Digitalis
"Musicyourmindwillloveyou collective chief, Michael Donnelly, has finally unleashed his solo project, Terracid. On the sprawling, "The Evacuation of Earth," Donnelly uses a vast array of instrumentation and styles to paint the picture of the oncoming apocalypse. It's the music of the machines letting loose and finally doing us in. But "The Evacuation of Earth" is more concerned with the journey of a few survivors, searching for something new; looking for a place where civilization may rise again. Terracid's debut is a massive undertaking and, despite a few hiccups along the way, serves as a mind-bending roadmap to the next Eden.
Donnelly proved earlier this year that he is a monumental talent with the debut of his main project, Brothers of the Occult Sisterhood. Terracid shows that even without the help from his friends, he can deliver. Psych infused drones dance next to tribal-based drumming. The effect of combining these two aspects is dizzying. It gives the feeling of someone trying to escape a slaughter. There's an underlying sense on "The Evacuation of Earth" of some seemingly supernatural force always watching your every move. Like you are being stalked even though there is obviously no one else in sight. It's eerie, but powerful.
"Manta Ray" has the feeling of insulated chaos. Let me explain. It's the aural equivalent of being inside a bubble while your entire world disintegrates around you. Donnelly's drumming provides the solid backbone for everything else he piles on top. There's feedback, distorted guitars, electronic buzzing, synthesizers acting as air raid sirens, and more. The drumming draws you. It gives you something to focus on, a solid beat to infect you and lose yourself in. This is the insulation. Everything else is almost ancillary; it's the chaos that wants to destroy you. Feedback fades in and out while blues-fused electric guitar solos through the putrid air.
The short, but memorable, "Sky Full of Eyes," is the creepiest track on the album. It most embodies what I previously mentioned: the feeling of someone watching you like there's some omnipresent force you can't escape. High-pitched glitches and minimal percussion mingle with vast open spaces to give this track a truly uncomfortable feel. Thankfully it's the shortest track on the album, otherwise you'd be having serious nightmares.
How the story ends, though, is often the most important part. On "The Evacuation of Earth," Donnelly brings everything to a memorable and impressive close. The epic nature of both "Telesthesia's Wooden Lips" and the title track act as heavy dose of melancholic nostalgia. Organic skronk fills the air of the former track, underlined by soaring ambient guitar soundscapes. The latter is laced in tremolo and features shamanistic chants. It's as if Donnelly is cleansing the air and the ground of this new home. His journey was long, but the end result is worth it.
Terracid is further proof of Michael Donnelly's massive talent. This is someone who has managed to fly under most people's radars for far too long. These first few releases are on the beginning. "The Evacuation of Earth" takes the listener on an aural journey through uncharted landscapes. Mythic creatures, magic journeys, and monumental excess lines the walls of this beautiful album. Trust me when I say this is a story you don't want to miss."
— Brad Rose
