Ripple Music

War Cloud – State of Shock Review

War Cloud – State of Shock Review

“It can be hard to keep up, can’t it? You barely scrape together the time to listen to one album and another three demanding your time are dropped in your lap. So I won’t do that to you, my friend. Grab a beverage if you like, and join me. Come sit a little closer and let’s simply enjoy each other’s company with a bit of comfort metal to take the pressure off.” Bob Ross, metal reviewer.

Dead Feathers – All Is Lost Review

Dead Feathers – All Is Lost Review

“Sometimes a record takes a while to grow on you. Sometimes it takes a few listens to really get what a band is going for, or what makes them different from dozens of other bands. On the other hand, sometimes you press play and the band’s selling point imprints itself on your eardrums almost immediately. Dead Feathers sound like a better Dead Meadow fronted by Florence Welch (as in, the one with The Machine), and I don’t make that comparison lightly.” Dead Feathers and the Machine.

Horseburner – The Thief Review

Horseburner – The Thief Review

“For music that should appeal to stoners, the thought of burning horses sounds like a very bad trip indeed, but that isn’t the case here and the incongruent imagery is the first of many surprises offered up by these West Virginians. Despite The Thief only being their second album, after 2016’s Dead Seeds, Barren Soil, these guys are no n00bs.” Horse play and cat fancying.

Lightning Born – Lightning Born Review

Lightning Born – Lightning Born Review

“Indeed, my indirect memories of the 70s feature objects and trends grown shabby from age and eventually replaced by neon colors, Reaganomics and synth pop. Raleigh, North Carolina’s Lightning Born, on the other hand, remember the 70’s in living detail and have preserved them in pristine amber on their full-length eponymous debut.” Lightning born, time frozen.

Bright Curse – Time of the Healer Review

Bright Curse – Time of the Healer Review

“I’ve never made it a secret that I’m a big fan of Pink Floyd. Nor am I alone in that adoration. The Brits had a huge influence on music in every genre, and their footsteps still impact artists across the globe. Their biggest crater is of course left in their home country, where Bright Curse sprang up over half a decade ago. With only vocalist Romain Daut remaining from the debut’s line-up, the young band has evidently been through some tumultuous times, but this hasn’t stopped Daut nor his three compatriots from hitting the studio and cranking out sophomore album Time of the Healer.” Floydcore.

Shotgun Sawyer – Bury the Hatchet Review

Shotgun Sawyer – Bury the Hatchet Review

“Okay, I know that back in February I promised myself no more retro rock. But a shift in release dates created a gap in my calendar, and Madam X, in her infinite wisdom, bestowed upon me an album as retro as it gets: Bury the Hatchet, the sophomore album from Californian blues/metal trio Shotgun Sawyer. I groaned inwardly, hit the download button, and prepared for the worst.” C’mon Hucky, don’t fear the retro.

Cities of Mars – The Horologist Review

Cities of Mars – The Horologist Review

“Attending a concert with an exceedingly small crowd has something bittersweet about it. On the one hand, you don’t have to deal with other people. On the other hand, audience dynamics are half of what makes concerts fun, and no one wishes minute attendance upon a band they like. I’ve seen Madder Mortem perform amongst less than 20 people, despite their lengthy career and overall high quality, which is just incomprehensible to me. It’s a little easier to understand in the case of today’s subject, Cities of Mars, who have only been at it for a few years, but my fiancée and I made up two-thirds of the crowd last time we saw them and I think we can all agree that’s a little bit fucked up.” Unmanned shows and unpopulated planets.

Black Lung – Ancients Review

Black Lung – Ancients Review

“I’ve been on a run in 2019. Not a great run, mind you, but a good one. I haven’t really stumbled across any albums that completely sucked, nor (aside from Soen) any that blew me away. Everything’s been “pretty good,” and that makes me feel like an overrating bastard at times. But rather than dredging the promo sump for some nu-core to lambaste, I continue to optimistically search for hidden gems. Which leads me to Maryland stoner/doom trio Black Lung and their third album, Ancients.” Terminal lung failure.

The Ghost Next Door – A Feast for the Sixth Sense Review

The Ghost Next Door – A Feast for the Sixth Sense Review

“Please take a moment with me to enjoy the hell out of that album cover. It’s a thing of beauty, to be sure, and one can read many things into it about the music it might conceal: vibrant, complex, and eerie, to start with. And while the cover may not be A Feast for the Sixth Sense, it’s certainly a feast for the eyes.” Dead next door.

Aver – Orbis Majora Review

Aver – Orbis Majora Review

“There’s something special in the water, air, or spider-venom in Australia. More and more, the Land Down Under is becoming a hotbed for top class progressive metal, and I’m getting to a point where I’ll blindly leap onto anything labeled Aussie prog, even if it has a cover as baffling as Aver’s Orbis Majora. Who thought ‘now all these naked space ladies need is having their arms melted together, getting them stuck to a giant bile-green orb, and replacing their heads with purple planets?'” Orbs of reckoning.