Formed in Mülheim an der Ruhr in 1992, Bohren & der Club of Gore emerged from the German hardcore and metal scene only to abandon it almost entirely - slowing their music to a crawl and inventing a genre all their own. Blending the hushed melancholy of jazz with the weight and menace of doom, the band pioneered what became known as "doom jazz" or "noir jazz": glacial, instrumental soundscapes built from mournful saxophone, spectral Rhodes, brooding piano, deep double bass and the softest brush of drums. Over three decades and a devoted international following, they have made after-hours darkness their signature. "Black Earth" (2002), their fourth album, is where that vision came fully into focus. If it's predecessor "Sunset Mission" defined the sound, "Black Earth" perfected it - sinking even deeper into the small hours, slowing everything to a hypnotic crawl. Widely hailed as the band's defining statement, and introduced to a whole new audience through it's 2004 Ipecac reissue, "Black Earth" spans nine tracks and over 70 minutes of exquisite, funereal beauty - a genre landmark and an essential pillar of any discerning collection.