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ABOUT EARTHTONE9, DOM LAWSON (BLABBERMOUTH) writes:
"Originally active for five years, beginning in the late '90s, EARTHTONE9 should have been massive. Leading lights of a UK underground that never really got to grips with a flourishing nu-metal scene, they garnered reams of frothing critical acclaim and should have been snapped up by a big label and thrust toward stardom. In particular, the band's third album "Arc'tan'gent" (2000) was (and hopefully is) regarded as one of the great British metal records of that era.

More by chance than design, EARTHTONE9 are one of the few bands that genuinely warrant use of the usually meaningless "alternative metal" tag. Brutally heavy but profoundly melodic, their blend of everything from hardcore and melo-death to grunge and noise rock is ferociously smart and, most importantly, aggressively accessible, with powerhouse vocalist Karl Middleton providing the emotional glue that binds it all together. Over a decade on from their last release, EARTHTONE9 have reason to feel that now is the time for their music to really hit its target. "In Resonance Nexus" arrived to some degree of surprise and delight, and that excitement turns out to be wholly justified. Still sounding utterly unique, but with songs that can hardly fail to chime with today's heavy music audience, the Brits have returned with the clear intention of showing people how this stuff should be done.

"In Resonance Nexus" is built to slap the listener around from the start. EARTHTONE9 always had a gift for huge, soaring choruses, but the first few songs here are ludicrously catchy, while also being extremely hard hitting. "The Polyphony Of Animals" and "Navison Record" are both fine examples of this band's idiosyncratic charm. The riffs are uniformly great, and veer between mosh-friendly hardcore, darkly melodic groove metal and brooding, fidgety grunge; meanwhile, Middleton's voice remains a thing of gritty wonder, as he slams home each euphoric refrain with great skill and even greater soul. On "Third Mutuality", EARTHTONE9 conjure a new and nuanced take on stadium alt-rock, with post-rock echoes and more pulverizing riffs underpinning Middleton's impassioned vocal. On the savage, driving "Etiquette of Distortion", they blur the lines between shiny modern metal and left-field brutality.

Although it is dominated by short, punchy songs, "In Resonance Nexus" concludes with a song that highlights EARTHTONE9's more experimental urges. "Strength Is My Weakness" is a big, burly metal song with a giant core hook that slowly morphs into a grinding, doomed-out riff assault with chug levels that are defiantly old school, and trippy, KING'S X-like vocal harmonies that swirl amid a churning maelstrom of guitars. As the concluding moment on an album that screams this band's greatness from the rooftops, it is just about perfect."

 

PRESS & REVIEWS FOR 'IN RESONANCE NEXUS' ALBUM (2024):

“A tantalising new dawn for one of British metal’s most essential bands.” 4/5 Kerrang
“A bloody pleasure.” 8/10 Metal Hammer 
“Innovative Brit metal crew return with all guns blazing!” 8/10 Classic Rock
“A pleasure from start to finish. What a return it is!” 10/10 Powerplay Magazine
“Stunning perfection from one of the UK’s best.” 10/10 Musipedia of Metal
“Absolutely and unequivocally a work of genius.” 5/5 Metal Epidemic  
“Why are they not huge?” Echoes and Dust 
“An astonishing album and it improves with every single listen.” Hotel Hobbies  
“Absolutely brilliant!” 9/10 All About The Rock
“Hot damn! earthtone9 are back and back with an undeniable banger.” 9/10 GBHBL
“An album that screams this band's greatness from the rooftops.” 8/10 Blabbermouth
"et9 have become more powerful than you can possibly imagine." The Razors Edge
“Feels massive and impressive at every turn.” The SoundBoard
“A fresh sound unlike any that e9 has put to tape thus far.” RockandRollFables
"Hooks and instant appeal alongside emotive depth." WonderBox Metal
“Holy shit - that’s super sick.” The Pitch Of Discontent Podcast
“A jewel in the crown of UK metal!” Devolution Magazine
“An album that not only lives up to but expands upon their legacy.” 8/10 Lots Of Muzik
“This album is full of energy and life. Heads will bang.” 8/10 Ave Noctum
“A wonderful comeback record.” 8/10 Distorted Sound
“This is sophisticated, forward-thinking songwriting.” Button Pusher DIY
“Up there with my favourite albums of the year. Easily!” Bath Time Record
“Eleven years of waiting were worth it!” 8.5/10 PowerMetal.DE 
“If you are a fan of metal at all, you NEED to check out this album.” 9/10 Overtone
“A great album! Welcome back!” Metallerium
“Boy does ‘In Resonance Nexus’ scratch that alt-metal itch!” The Death Of Music 
“Still so much creativity in this band.” 85/100 Zwar Metalen
“You should listen to this album because it’s fucking great.” The Sleeping Shaman
“One of the best-executed returns of the scene.” 8/10 RockZone Mag
“Earthtone9 are back with unrestrained ferocity.” The V13 Fix
“One of the alternative/metalcore releases of the year.” 78/100 Metal Hammer (ITALY)
“Full of delicacies that Isis, Tool, and even Linkin Park would envy.” 10/10 Rics and Green (HUNGARY)
"This is a bad ass album!” 85/100 Aardschok Magazine (NETHERLANDS)
“This album even manages to exceed my expectations! ” 9/10 Rock Tribune (BELGIUM)
“The long wait has paid off!” Powermetal (GERMANY)
“You HAVE to hear this!” 9/10 Rock Hard (GERMANY)
“Captivating and beautiful.” 5/7 Metal Hammer (GERMANY)
“The 10 songs exude joy and atmosphere. Unexpectly fresh.” 9/10 Visions (GERMANY) 
“Sophisticated mastery that doesn't let go! The return is masterful.” 9/10 Demonic Nights (GERMANY)
“Confirms the relevance and exceptional status that EARTHTONE9 is given” Music-Scan (GERMANY)
“The band's heaviest and most intense album to date.” Amplified Mag (GERMANY)
“A genuine alt-metal masterpiece and an instant cult classic.” 10/10 AC Rock Reviews
“Every track is a belter, and a room-shaking anthem in waiting.” Rockflesh 
“A staggering return that is very nearly an equal to the classic Arc’tan’gent!” amodeofcontrol

#1 Album Of The Year - Victor Gati, RicsAndGreen & HammerWorld Mag
#3 Album Of The Year - The Sleeping Shaman
#4 Album Of The Year - Tom Finch, The Razors Edge
#11 Album Of The Year - Elliot Leaver (Metal Hammer)
#12 Album Of The Year - A Mode Of Control
#24 Album Of The Year - Hotel Hobbies
#45 Album Of The Year - Rockflesh
Top Albums Of The Year - Nemeshade

 

 

PRESS & REVIEWS FOR 'ARCTANGENT' ALBUM (2000):

“ArcTanGent could stand toe-to-toe with White Pony, Toxicity, Lateralus or any of the other landmark records of the time. It’s filled with beautiful harmonies, jarring progressive song structures, technical wizardry and a unique blend of humour and oddness that is all theirs.” Stephen Hill, Metal Hammer

"earthtone9 are the best British metal band to ever to hit the scene. ArcTanGent is a masterpiece." Dan Tompkins, TesseracT

“I love the ArcTanGent album so much that I named a festival after it. It really is a seminal album in UK heavy music and I can’t wait to be down the front at the Bristol show.” James Scarlett, ArcTanGent Festival Organiser

“From the moment I heard earthtone9 all those years ago, I knew they were something very special and way ahead of their time. It's so good to see them back but are they going to shave their heads as a show of  utmost respect??” Andy Copping, Download Festival

 

earthtone9 celebrate the 25th anniversary of their groundbreaking album ArcTanGent with a special tour across the UK and Ireland this autumn:

Sept 18: Lincoln, The Drill
Sept 19: Glasgow, Cathouse
Sept 20: Manchester, Academy 3
Oct 09: Birmingham, Mama Roux’s
Oct 10: Exeter, Cavern Club
Oct 11: Swansea, Sin City
Oct 12: Bristol, Thekla       
Nov 06: Norwich, Waterfront Studio
Nov 07: Southampton, Joiners
Nov 08: London, The Dome
Nov 09: Milton Keynes, The Craufurd Arms  
Dec 12: Limerick, Dolan’s Kasbah
Dec 13: Dublin, Workman’s Club
Dec 14: Belfast, Voodoo