It's been three years since Red Cloud last graced Denver stages with its inspired mélange of dusky country, sad-bastard rock and vitally unfiltered emotional displays from frontman Ross Etherton. This latest project, Ross Etherton & the Chariots of Judah — due at the Dikeou Collection (1615 California Street) on Friday, January 28 — isn't a continuation of Red Cloud so much as it is an outlet for Etherton's rich imagination as he builds a personal mythology of life beyond the downtrodden tales of his experience as a denizen of Nebraska. Rounded out by drummer Trevor Morris and Etherton's ex-Cloud bandmate Jeremy Ziehe on bass, the Chariots of Judah are known to break out an old Red Cloud song or two. Etherton is no stranger to wearing his emotions on his sleeve, but he exorcises his demons more selectively these days, while losing none of the power inherent in his music.