Earthlore – Within The Earth

by Mark 'Yeti' Richard · August 28, 2026

Earthlore is a heavy metal band that merges heavy psych and stoner doom elements into their sound. The Boston, Massachusetts based four-piece consists of Drew Pelrine on vocals and rhythm guitar, Gabe Haydar on lead guitar, Troy Welling on drums, and Lars Nicewicz on bass. The band released two EPs, 2019’s Age Of The Monolith and 2023’s Live From The Den 2023. They just recently dropped their debut album called Within The Earth on August 28th 2026. It contains seven tracks at thirty four minutes long.

Earthlore is a band that was groomed to becoming a favorite of mine. I first saw them live on April 9th 2025 open for Colorado’s Hashtronaut and local heros,Worshipper. Ten days later I saw the band again opening at the Hopsmokerfest at the Widowmaker in Braintree. Most recently, they opened for Gozu and Restless Spirit on June 27th 2026 and they just headlined the Widowmaker on August 12th. I purchased the new CD at that last show and got to hear the band perform a good chunk of material from the latest, Within The Earth that night. I must point out that every time that I listen to Earthlore, the more I love their music! Hearing a band for the very first time live is a very special experience. I think a lot of these songs were already burned into my subconscious before listening to Within The Earth for the first time.

Earthlore opens the album with the title track “Within The Earth” and it’s a fantastic song to begin with! It has a complete mix of heavy sounds that showcase the talents of this quartet right from the beginning. The rhythm section is stellar and Troy Welling’s drumming throughout this record is amazing. His thunderous energy is a huge asset to the overall sound of Earthlore and I notice it right away. The thick and fuzzy riffs and boisterous harmonies are complimentary with Drew’s powerful vocals commanding the flow. The first thing that comes to mind is the amazing sound quality in the recording and mixing of this record. Every instrument sounds perfectly balanced and the outcome is a monolithic molding of pure heavy metal glory. Hearing this music gets me excited like the late 80’s and early 90’s heyday of metal and thrash once did. The riffs are grooving and the guitar leads are spectacular.

The second track “All” begins with clean guitars that chug into a heavy metal storm. The vocals vary nicely from clean to more aggressive and always sounding prominent and vital. The music captures a dark and sludgy doom essence that displays majestic harmonies and great spontaneous rhythms. “All” has a nice unhurried flow that resonates deeply. Menacing rhythms and beautiful dynamic melodies coexist perfectly within this song.The third track, “Epilogue” is a stunning clean guitar introduction that goes right into the excellent “Tempest Skies”. Being the first single on Within The Earth, “Tempest Skies” hits you hard and aggressive and bashes your face in with the riff pounding. The music explores some technical and progressive rock territory and exhibits some stunning guitar leads in its wake. As I listen to this record over and over again, I can’t help but think about how deliberate and meticulous the band planned out every single song and structure on this composition. The order of the track listing has an intentional ebb and flow that works magnificently with the feel and structure of the songs.

“Blinding Star” is a great example of a perfectly crafted piece of musical art that is accomplished on this recording. The riffs and harmonies stand out and glide with elegance and precision. The guitar leads from Gabe Haydar on the last minute plus portion of the song are exceptional, as are the avalanche of riffs from Drew Pelrine. The next track, “Centuries” begins with more incredible guitar work and keeps the rhythm and movement strong throughout. I must also comment on the stellar bass playing throughout this record, especially felt on this track, always conducting the groove and accentuating the rhythm.

The seventh and final track is called “In Spring”. It has a more mellow tone that shows another remarkable side of Earthlore. The psychedelic nuances are present with the cosmic hypnosis of the riffs taking over my mind and body. The song does get heavier at the end, but never loses that atmospheric charm and resonance. I am really impressed with this debut album from Earthlore. Watching this band emerge from a local opener to headliner in just over a year has been amazing. The songs constructed on Within The Earth are just the sonic fuel that will take Earthlore to a new level and beyond. I am grateful to have witnessed this growth from the start and can only see great things happening for this excellent and talented band.