Stoner Metal

Witch Ripper, The Flight After The Fall (Magnetic Eye 2023)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , , ,

Seattle sludgers Witch Ripper let loose with their second long-player, The Flight After The Fall.

Witch Ripper is a metal band from the Pacific Northwest, formed in 2012. They have released an EP, a split, and a full-length album prior to the new one. They are typical called a sludge band, I’ve noticed, but when you hear The Flight After The Fall, you might think of them as progressive metalers.

The narrative content of the new record is described in the prerelease material as containing “ a mad professor, his dying wife, cryogenic chambers, a black hole as well as themes of love, failure, loss, and acceptance.” That is pretty exciting – fertile ground indeed. The band is Chad Fox (guitar, vocals), Brian Kim (bass, vocals), Curtis Parker (guitar, vocals), and Joe Eck (drums).

“Enter the Loop” is the first of six tracks on the record. The quiet dissolve is a slow build that pushes into a proggy arrangement. Hooking melody follows, surprisingly, cracking off in a gruff direction afterward. I am getting a little dizzy listening to the music. This is a fascinating choice for an opener. “Madness and Ritual Solitude” is next, breaking out in percussion to set up a big guitar riff. This one lays on the doom side of the field, with additional activation from the drumming. The composition does turn more technical, but the tone remains serious, the instrumentations are more muscular. Very good. “The Obsidian Forge” is ponderous, drawn more in an intellectual, or at least contemplative, space. Meditate on this one and see if you can find deeper meaning.

“Icarus Equation” is my favorite track outside of the gigantic closer. It offers beautiful, bewitching frontmatter before laying out heavy tones and celestial ideations. But the big story is “Everlasting in Retrograde Parts I and II.” Running almost seventeen minutes, it fits right in as a two-parter since the other songs average about half that mark. What especially appeals to me is the periodic heaviness that exceeds earlier levels, placed in contrast to melodic outpourings. Truly, you could listen only to this final piece and be satisfied, although it does have a greater impact after the rest of the music has been ingested. This is not what I thought I was going to hear, but I thoroughly enjoyed the album. Recommended.

The Flight After The Fall is out on Friday, March 3rd through Magnetic Eye Records. Listen and buy at the links below.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://witchripper.bandcamp.com/album/the-flight-after-the-fall-2

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/Witchripper/

Magnetic Eye Records, https://us.spkr.media/us/Artists/Witch-Ripper/Witch-Ripper-The-Flight-After-The-Fall.html

© Wayne Edwards

Witch Ripper, The Flight After The Fall (Magnetic Eye 2023)

Photo Gallery: Drummers, Part 4

Wayne Edwards, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Healing Magic at The Vogue, Indianapolis
Jarhead Fertilizer at The Monkey House, Burlington
Howling Rooster at Muddy Roots Festival
Cannibal Corpse at Blue Ridge Rock Festival
Black Cobra at Muddy Roots Festival
Black Anvil at The Vogue, Indianapolis
Attila at Blue Ridge Rock Festival
Amon Amarth at the Andrew J. Brady Music Center, Cincinnati

Photos by Wayne Edwards.

© Wayne Edwards

Photo Gallery: Drummers, Part 4

Cancervo, II (Electric Valley 2023)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , , ,

Psychedelic stoner doom metal band Cancervo release their second full-length album, the humbly titled II.

Named after a mountain, Cancervo began in Lombardy, Italy in 2020. They have one previous long-player to their account, the equally unassuming I. This doom trio creates understated and darkly insinuating doom that is heavy by doom standards. There is not a ton of background info floating around about the band, so let’s get right into the music.

“Arera” is minimalistic doom metal with steady percussion and rhythm, haunting vocals, and deliberate lead guitar work in the second half. The musicians are putting it out there and letting the sonic vibrations mow you over. “Herdsman of Grem” has a funeral doom intonation to it. Thinking back, so did the opening song. Indeed, funeral doom is not a bad way to conceptualize the slow, titanic riff construction. The repetition of the primary bars sets the feeling in your bones so that you are better prepared for the forlorn guitar departure in the back half. “The Cult of Armentarga” continues the dirge, while “Devil’s Coffin” is almost speed metal by comparison, with its hop-along bass line. You cannot ignore the ritual elements to this music – it works on you in that chant-like way, a characteristic that sets this music apart from otherwise similar contemporary doom.

Side two has a pair of long songs, “Zambla” and “Zambel’s Goat.” The question of whether they are more closely related to each other than to the other songs in the set is perhaps moot. It is amazing how different an eight- or nine-minute songs can be compared to a five- or six-minute song – the extra couple minutes have a dramatic impact on compositional pacing. Even more than side one, the ritual nature of this music finds its way into more than your ears. The music soaks into you and, particularly on the closing track, entrances. After you hear this second album, listen to the first one … then come back and hear the new one again. You will be hooked. Recommended.

Cancervo’s second album is out now through Electric Valley Records. Check it out at the Bandcamp link below.

Band photo by Beatrice V. Gotti.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://cancervo.bandcamp.com/album/ii

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/cancervo

Electric Valley Records, https://www.electricvalleyrecords.com/

© Wayne Edwards

Cancervo, II (Electric Valley 2023)

Blackwülf, Thieves And Liars (Ripple 2023)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , , ,

Blackwülf is starting off their second decade with a killer album, Thieves And Liars.

Heavy stoner band Blackwülf began in 2012 in Oakland, California. Dedicated to massive riffs and with an on-going nod to the past, they released their first record in 2014, Mind Traveler. Two more followed as the years passed and the reputation of the band grew ever stronger. It has been five years since the last one so fans are chomping at the bit for Thieves And Liars. The band is Scott Peterson (bass), Dave Pankenier (drums), Pete Holmes (guitars), and Alex Cunningham (vocals).

“Shadow” has a nice dark sound, and it gets the set rolling right. There is something very recognizable about this music. In fits and starts. You think you have a bead on it – as in, oh I know where that comes from – and then the music shifts and it’s something else. There is a presence here of 1970s metal and of 1970s rock, coming together in synergy rather conflict. “Seems to Me” pushes the hoary spike in deeper, and in this expression the path trends a bit more linear. Glorious fuzz and a dream-weaving leads further the declarations of the period vocals to the place where knowing and unknowing become indistinguishable. And then we have “Killing Kind,” which is a spellcaster if ever one existed. The music tells you what it is going to do and does it without delay. It is a witching little wonder that branches out on the guitar now and again.

You can find nostalgia in this album, or you could take the new music as a contemporary instantiation. Or both, which is what I suggest. Look out for “Failed Resistance” especially if you want to lean into the former, and “Psychonaut / Edge of Light” for a moody and ornamental avenue of the latter. For the sheer kickass rock and roll of it all, listen to “Brother.” There is something here that touches on each of our favorite things. Recommended.

Thieves And Liars is out now through Ripple Music. Snap it up at the links below.

Links.

Blackwülf website, https://www.blackwulfusa.com/

Bandcamp, https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/thieves-and-liars

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/blackwulfusa

Ripple Music, https://www.ripple-music.com/

© Wayne Edwards

Blackwülf, Thieves And Liars (Ripple 2023)

Photo Gallery: Bassists, Part 1

Wayne Edwards, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Stöner at Muddy Roots
Mercyful Fate at Andrew J. Brady Center, Cincinnati
Armored Saint at BMI Event Center, Versailles, Ohio
Deocculted at Tennessee Metal Devastation
Exodus at Newport Music Center, Columbus
Goatwhore at Higher Ground, Burlington
Hookers at Muddy Roots
The Red Mountain at Tennessee Metal Devastation

Photos by Wayne Edwards.

© Wayne Edwards

Photo Gallery: Bassists, Part 1

The Freqs, Poachers (2023)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , ,

Heavy rock stoner band The Freqs bring it on with their latest, Poachers.

At the tender age of three, The Freqs have their act together. In such a short time, it is surprising that the Salem, Massachusetts band is four EPs deep with the new record. Each album so far has been a step up, and the new one is no exception. The band is Seth Crowell (guitar, vocals), Ian Mandly (bass, keys), and Zack Fierman (drums).

“Poacher Gets The Tusk” gets things rolling with a heavy stoner riff and a surprisingly intense catchiness. It has a good cook to it, this song, with a syrupy passage in the center. Mostly fungus-free, this one is a winner. “Powertrippin’” is a bit stabby, with distorted vocals paired by a harsh guitar partner. Frenzied and clacking, the song excites your nerve endings like a fourth cup of coffee at breakfast. There is a very odd choir-like chorus in the softened center that might wrong-foot you, so watch out. “Asphalt Rivers” makes out like it is a gentle lounge piece. It is more than that, with creaturous ripples biding their time just beneath the surface. Soon enough they break through and rock your inadequate boat. It is unsettling.

Side two brings “Sludge Rats,” a song that sounds like it seems it would sound. At first. Like the other songs in this set, first impressions do not convey accurately the entirety of the enterprise. The swelling and growth of the music herein is industrious. “Chase Fire, Caught Smoke” has a delightful mystery to it, a devilish squirm that is enticing and mesmerizing. I love the tone. The last track is “Witch,” a raw, sludgy delicacy. I find the guitar in this song very appealing, highlighted here even more than in other songs. This album deserves a listen. Recommended.

Poachers is out on Friday, February 3rd in glorious digital at the Bandcamp link below.

Band photo by Zack Fierman.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://thefreqs.bandcamp.com/album/poachers

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/thefreqsband

© Wayne Edwards

The Freqs, Poachers (2023)

Clouds Taste Satanic, Tales Of Demonic Possession (Majestic Mountain 2023)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , , , ,

Let the new music from Clouds Taste Satanic engulf you: Tales Of Demonic Possession.

Clouds Taste Satanic is the best instrumental doom band in the land. I have been a fan for as long as I have been aware of them. For about ten years and across six previous full-length albums (plus the exceptional Satanic Singles series), the metal quartet from New York has shown itself to be limitlessly inventive. The new album adds not only to their canon, but to their legend and lore. The band is Sean Bay (bass), Steven Scavuzzo (guitar), Greg Acampora (drums), and Brian Bauhs (guitar).

There are four long tracks on the new album, one for each side with each running about twenty minutes in length. First is “Flames and Demon Drummers.” The song begins softly and quietly. The music is a bit melancholy, but otherwise light-hearted. The big guitar riffs do enter, and they land firmly, with the rhythm wall standing up an avenue for the lead. The composition charts a path and sees it through, encountering a few unexpected ripples along the way. “Sun Death Ritual” follows and opens with an invitational guitar posture, bringing in the doom sentiment shortly thereafter. The guitar is very active, as it must be on all the tracks, really, carrying a lot of the weight in the instrumental setting. The sound here is grimier than the first track, in the best possible way. It turns spacey then comes back, and toward the end there is a march through a dark land that is harrowing, indeed. Fantastic.

The second disc gives us “Spirits of the Green Desert” on side three. The wind whistles through the crusty rocks and you begin to hear drumming in the distance. The music that comes up is a clear indication that spells are being cast nearby. What is not immediately clear is the manner of magic being invoked. The heaviness of the music is a sign, but before you know enough to react, you are bewitched, fixed in place, immersed. “Conjuring the Dark Rider” is the final piece. It is the most dramatic to my ears, and the song with the most narrative clarity. There is a fantastic jam just before midway that stays with me even now. The ending demonstrates incredible sway. This is excellent music all the way through, and it is exactly what I was hoping for in the new record. Highly recommended.

Tales Of Demonic Possession is out on Friday, February 3rd in multiple formats, including vinyl, through Majestic Mountain Records. Have a look at the links below.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://cloudstastesatanic.bandcamp.com/album/tales-of-demonic-possession

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/CloudsTasteSatanic

CTS roundup at FFMB, https://flyingfiddlesticks.com/2020/04/07/a-quick-look-at-clouds-taste-satanic/

Majestic Mountain Records, https://majesticmountainrecords.bigcartel.com/

© Wayne Edwards

Clouds Taste Satanic, Tales Of Demonic Possession (Majestic Mountain 2023)

Dead Will Walk, A New Day Of Dawning (Dawnbreed 2023)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , , ,

European death metallers Dead Will Walk brand the pages of history with their latest music, A New Day Of Dawning.

It has been six years since Dutch death metal band Dead Will Walk released new music. Their first published work was a split with Entrapment in 2017 followed in that same year by their debut EP Unleash The Dead. Fans have been on tenterhooks ever since. The good news is A New Day Of Dawning will certainly sate their musical thirst. The band is Patrick de Vaal (guitar), Sander Vos (vocals, drums), and Rick Schonewille (bass).

There are six tracks on the new EP. “Raise the Horde” leads the way. It has a military feel to it, and, while the music fits firmly in the ranks of death metal, I enjoyed a nice flush of black metal rippling beneath the skin. “Nightscreams” is a paint peeler, with surging punk energy and a raking vocal delivery that matches perfectly the lyrics. The horror vibe is real and pulsing, saturated in the dark music. I anticipated a heavy dooming vault for “Concrete Wombs,” but the song turns out to be very active and it has a smashing nature to go along with the doom vibery and massive heaviness. The shifts are regular and sometimes sharp. It is like walking through a dungeon and discovering new terrors around each corner.

“From Moving Grounds” continues the contemplative slugging from the end of side one and takes it even deeper. There is a long heavy chop at center stage, contained by the established undulating moat. “Day of Dawning” is positively aerobic for long patches, accepting tinge and tint from other regards to complete the picture. The set finishes with “Headstone Tales.” My favorite track on the album, this anchor piece is a massacre at midnight, incorporating all the best elements the band has showed off so far and seamlessly integrating them into a dark anthem. Once you reach the end, your first thought will be that you must hear it again. Recommended.

A New Day Of Dawning is out on Friday, January 27th through Dawnbreed Records. Check it out at the links below.

Band photo by Ronald van de Baan.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://deadwillwalk.bandcamp.com/

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/deadwillwalk/

Dawnbreed Records, https://www.dawnbreed.com/

© Wayne Edwards

Dead Will Walk, A New Day Of Dawning (Dawnbreed 2023)

Robot Death Monkey, Intergalactic Party Powder (2022)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , , ,

Scotland’s Robot Death Monkey slap down another irresistible slab of metal on Intergalactic Party Powder.

For a dozen years now, Robot Death Monkey has been ruffling feathers in the stoner metal world. In a good way. They have released a string of fierce EPs, including Booze Cruise (2015), Big Pussy (2019), and Druid Odyssey (2021). The music is heavy groove metal with a rock and roll propulsion that you can’t get enough of once you start listening. The band is Shaun Forshaw (bass, vocals) Sam Forshaw (drums), Alan Travers (guitar), and Fraser Lough (guitar).

“Bantha Rider” has a great punch. The song structure does put me in mind of Clutch, but the music is much more metal, maybe in the Orange Goblin direction. Great riffs, great pound. The lead guitar solo is fantastic. It is an instrumental heavy metal feast. “Asgardian Micro Whitey” is another rambler, and our first clear listen to Forshaw’s vocals, which are rugged and declarative. The lead break on this song is lethal, and it’ll pin your ears back.

With a title like “Dragon Clit,” it almost doesn’t matter what the song sounds like. Thankfully, it turns out this track is a killer. The riffage is like a line of lance-wielding Spartans advancing unstoppably, all the while stabbing straight for your eyes. It is another instrumental juggernaut. “Kittens and Coke” opens gently, like a murderer laying in wait. Suddenly, the entire group jumps out, every hand swinging a heavy hammer. We are told straight up that there “is only one thing that I need: kittens and coke.” Well, sure, who hasn’t said that themselves? And here we have it set to music. This is a tasty party song the legions will welcome.

Listening to this four-song EP on repeat might lead to spontaneous human combustion. Recommended.

Intergalactic Party Powder is out now. Bandcamp is the reliable hook-up. While you are there, check out the band’s other albums – there is lot of great music ready to be heard.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://robotdeathmonkey.bandcamp.com/album/intergalactic-party-powder

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/RobotDeathMonkey/

© Wayne Edwards

Robot Death Monkey, Intergalactic Party Powder (2022)

Demonio, Electric Voodoo Of The Black Dawn (Regain 2022)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , , ,

Italian stoner metal band Demonio puts it all together on Electric Voodoo Of The Black Dawn.

Demonio is a power trio that plays doom stoner heavy psych metal music that will open your mind, whether or not you are chemically prepared for the journey. Peopled by Matteo (bass), Paolo (drums), and Anthony (guitar, vocals), Demonio have put out a long-player and an EP in the past couple of years, titled, respectively, Electric Voodoo (2021) and Black Dawn (2022). The new record collects these two in one place and makes them available in new physical editions to go along with the digital that already exists.

The spirit awakens with “From the Grave,” a trippy, groovy, guitar-driven delight. If anything is coming out of the grave, it is just popping up to light the bong, so never fear. “Lust for the Dark” takes a step back to consider the impetus of carnality and its association with dim lighting. Heh-heh. Not really. It is a slower cook, and that just makes the notes all the more tender to the touch. The lead guitar is either the charmer or the snake, and, whichever is true, the effect is hypnotizing. “Acid’s Dream” is fuzzier and grungier and every bit as potent. The established range is challenged throughout, enriching the musical environment.

The title tracks have a special place in the set. “Electric Voodoo” is a warbly enabler, encouraging deeper explorations than have so far come to pass. “Black Dawn” is one of the longer songs in the compilation, and it makes expert use of all the afforded space. The long, languid middle keeps your mind from exploding, and the punching ending is an excellent send-off. Recommended.

Electric Voodoo Of The Black Dawn is out now in digital and CD through Regain Records, with a vinyl version to follow in 2023 from DHU Records.

Links.

Demonio Bandcamp, https://demonio666.bandcamp.com/album/electric-voodoo

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/demonioband

DHU Records, https://darkhedonisticunionrecords.bigcartel.com/

Shadow Records, https://www.shadowrecords.se/

Helter Skelter Productions, https://www.facebook.com/helterskelterproductions/

Regain Records, https://regainrecords.bandcamp.com/album/electric-voodoo-of-the-black-dawn

© Wayne Edwards

Demonio, Electric Voodoo Of The Black Dawn (Regain 2022)