Screaming Earth is a new Polish band from Warsaw. Consisting of multi-instrumentalist Rafał Redosz (guitars, keyboards, bass, drums) and lead singer Andrzej Ende Podściański. They released their debut album From Manure To The Stars in 2021 online via Bandcamp. It seemed that the Polish label Lynx Music discovered the band and the album they recorded a couple of years ago. Because they released the CD edition now in 2025. Rafał actually told me what really happened. "Initially, the album only appeared as a digital version on Bandcamp in 2021. After a few years, we decided to release the same version as an official CD on Lynx Music in 2025. These few years of discrepancy were due to the search for finances to press the album and the search for the release itself". On the internet there is also some confusion when the album actually was recorded. Rafał also made clear that Lynx mentioned that a recording was made in 2024 is a mistake. They will correct it with the release. Strangely enough the download only version has one track extra which isn't on the CD version. Namely Blue Temple. I asked Rafał why: "This is our decision because we felt it didn't fit in with the rest of the album. For the rest the CD version is a copy of the Bandcamp version". From Manure To The Stars is a concept album consisting of eight compositions, two of which are instrumental. To be more specific the album starts and ends with an instrumental. The theme of the album "From Manure to Stars" revolves around the social unrest of the 21st century. They ask questions about freedom, about interpersonal relationships, They wonder about the causes of armed conflicts, They collect opinions of others, They ask questions about the consequences of globalization, the role of media in the modern world and about dreams. Screaming Earth asks uncomfortable questions. Rafał stated to me:"The concept for the album matured within me. It was a disagreement with certain things in the modern world that the singer and I had been observing for a long time. The Darwinian cover evolution leads to overloading our brains which will subvert us as humans and humanity". Furthermore he tells:"Our music does not tell you how to live, but makes you think. We are talking about something that has been uncomfortable for a long time. Is our time limited? Are our words the cry of the entire planet? You could call us dreamers, but we are certainly not the only ones (Imagine John Lennon HS). We are distinguished by our curiosity and courage. See if you share our point of view. Maybe you hear a scream from inside. Do you wonder what is happening to the world? Where are we going? Will freedom of speech survive? Should you die for other people's ideas? Can you name everything correctly? Do you collect other people's ideas? Do you feel safe? How often do you protest in the streets? Do the words you speak disappear forever? Are wars caused by boredom or greed? Are you sure you see what you want to see? Do you feel free? Do you feel manipulated? Or are you just fed up with corporations, advertising and surveillance? The Earth is screaming". Their statement and concept are well depicted in the drawings on the cover and inside the booklet. This was made possible through the graphics made by Magdalena Braciszewska. You can see the evolution of mankind and you can see the dry ground they walk on. On the images it looks like we eventually end up like aliens. But Rafał told me that we are not going to turn into aliens. While listening to From Manure To The Stars you can't deny that you hear music which sounds like Pink Floyd. It's all over this concept album. You can hear the same kind of vocal parts which reminded me of David Gilmour and Roger Waters. Also Gilmour's special guitar sound occasionally comes to the surface. But it is most of all The Wall which comes to mind because it is also a concept album. Most of all because of the use sound fragments. For example on Will Be Gone Tomorrow you can here soldiers talk to each other. And on Unmasked Dreams you can hear voices coming from a cock pit in a plane. You can hear a pilot talk. On the album opener From Manure To The Stars it sounds as if they used the same kind of guitar chords as Pink Floyd used on Welcome To The Machine. Also Ash And Diamonds starts a bit like Comfortably Numb. However the intro of Duke's World sounds like Subdivisions the composition from... Rush! And indeed on Rafał confesses:"Yes. I've been influenced by Pink Floyd since my early teens. My inspirations beyond Pink Floyd are Genesis, King Crimson, Steven Wilson and Porcupine Tree". However the inspirations of those acts you can't hear on first hearing! All in all you can see and hear that Screaming Earth made quite an effort to turn From Manure To The Stars into something special music wise and visual wise. It is certainly a good album to listen to and you will be entertained until the end. Most of all lovers of Pink Floyd will cherish this album. So I can only say listen for yourself if everything was worth the effort. As for myself I do think so! *** Henri Strik (edited by Tracy van Os van den Abeelen) Where to buy? |
