Ripple Music

Witchcryer – When Their Gods Come for You Review

By Steel Druhm on August 20, 2021 in Reviews, Doom Metal, Occult Rock, 25 comments

“I recall being quite taken with Witchcryer’s 2017 debut Cry Witch when I stumbled across it in the rancid promo sump. A product of Las Cruces, Earthen Grave, and The Living Fields members, it had a lively doom rock sound akin to Castle and Jex Thoth and frontwoman Suzy Bravo was a force to be reckoned with. In hindsight, however, I overrated the album as it was very short on content, and though its high points are great, it has downslopes and filler too, which is a bad sign for such a short album. Nonetheless, I was still excited to get my hands on their sophomore album When Their Gods Come for You and see what the last few years had done to their sound.” Gods and sirens.

Boss Keloid – Family the Smiling Thrush Review

By Huck N Roll on June 4, 2021 in Reviews, Progressive Metal, Stoner Rock, 30 comments

“There is no sneaking up on us from the bushes this time around; not after the critical success of Melted on the Inch. No, Wigan’s greatest export, Boss Keloid, are going to have to win us over by producing a pretty mean album with all eyes upon them. Their unique brand of hipster prog-stoner-doom was a clinic in quirky obfuscation several years ago, taking many of us by storm. Heck, Melted… was my Number Five album in 2018. Typically the novelty can wear thin between releases, but it seems as though the anticipation for Family the Smiling Thrush has been steadily growing. Can the lads deliver?” Thrush the Magic Dragon, why do you cry?

Moon Coven – Slumber Wood Review

By Cherd on May 7, 2021 in Reviews, 17 comments

“There’s a reason metal fans will never want for bands that play fuzzy stoner doom. Sure, it’s the oldest genre in all of metaldom and has somehow seen less evolution in recent decades than you’d find at Boone County, Kentucky’s Creation Museum. But unlike the dinosaurs that perished in Noah’s flood, stoner doom will never go extinct. That’s because ever since The Lord revealed his commandments to Tony Iommi on Mount Sinai, purveyors of the style have remembered the Sabbath and kept their riffs holy. When a stoner band drops a bluesy-psych groove, it connects on a primal level the way few other metal styles can. The genre may be stagnant, but when it’s played well, that hardly matters. Sweden’s Moon Coven attempt to keep the altar fire burning in doom’s Holy of Holies with their third album Slumber Wood.” Sleeping wood, fuzzy bat.

Thunder Horse – Chosen One Review

By Huck N Roll on March 19, 2021 in Reviews, Doom Metal, 18 comments

“Thunder Horse was a pleasant surprise ending to 2018, dropping a solid platter of sludgy doom on our doorstep that December. It was strong enough to attract the attention of renowned stoner/doom/psych label Ripple Music, and here we are now with Chosen One, the band’s follow-up. Like their namesake, this quartet brings thunder to the masses in typically larger-than-life Texas fashion, with anthemic, grandiose doom replete with crushing drums and epic guitar solos. Although not even remotely close musically, the title of an old Dave Edmunds album comes to mind when listening to Thunder Horse. This music is as Subtle as a Flying Mallet.” Horse-corps.

Howling Giant / Sergeant Thunderhoof – Turned to Stone Chapter 2: Masamune & Muramasa Review

By Dear Hollow on August 9, 2020 in Reviews, Doom Metal, Stoner Metal, Stoner Rock, 7 comments

“Last year, I had the privilege of contributing a TYMHM review of Nashville stoner trio Howling Giant, with their album The Space Between Worlds. Jampacked with Torche worship and other catchy, fuzz-revering stoner metal greats, it distinguished itself with how it balanced impressive songwriting and performances with a fantastic sense of levity. While it’s hard to take stoner genres seriously in general, Howling Giant just sounds like three dudes at a jam session having the time of their lives, and that energy is infectious. Less than a year later, and we’re graced with a split!” Stones and swords may break your bones, but riffs are where it’s at.

Stonebirds – Collapse and Fail Review

By Saunders on July 25, 2020 in Reviews, Post-Metal, Sludge, Stoner Rock, 14 comments

“French trio Stonebirds formed back in 2008 and have three LP’s under their belt, prior to the release of their latest opus, entitled Collapse and Fail. This is my first taste of the band’s work, and based on the music contained within their fourth album, Stonebirds specialize in an atmospheric, post-metal tinged form of emotive, dark sludge and doom. Throw in some generally lengthy song structures, a heaping dose of melancholy, and mixture of heavy, grinding riffage and quieter passages of introspective post-metal, and you get a basic idea of what Stonebirds are all about.” Failure as art.

Kingnomad – Sagan Om Rymden Review

By Huck N Roll on July 9, 2020 in 2020, Progressive Rock, Reviews, Progressive Rock, Psychedelic Rock, 12 comments

“My fine friend El Cuervo is an old soul. Not an olde soul, mind you, but getting there. We both enjoy deeply of the 70s prog scene, and one release we both dig is the late Bo Hansson’s debut from fifty years ago, Music Inspired by Lord of the Rings, or Sagan om Ringen in Swedish. Who cares? Well, we do, and so do the four Swedish individuals who comprise the psychedelic prog-doom act Kingnomad.” One prog to rule them all.

Wino – Forever Gone Review

By Steel Druhm on June 25, 2020 in Reviews, Folk, 11 comments

“Scott “Wino” Weinrich is at a point in his lengthy and influential music career where he can do pretty much anything he wants. He can cut more albums with his seminal doom act, The Obsessed, or perform with that other seminal doom act, Saint Vitus. He might even pursue collaborations with a who’s who of musicians as he did with Dave Grohl in Probot and with German dark folk artist Conny Ochs. Another option would be to record an album of stripped down, bare bones acoustic Americana rock. It seems as Wino ages, his heart gravitates back to that final option more and more.” Forever Wino.

Curse the Son – Excruciation Review

By Doom_et_Al on June 17, 2020 in Reviews, Doom Metal, 8 comments

“Character, they say, is forged in adversity. Or at least that’s what management tells me every time I see myself rostered for yet another shift in the AMG Skull Pit™. Curse the Son know all about adversity, having had a constantly rotating line-up since the band formed in 2008. In addition, bassist Brendan O’Keefe suffered extensive injuries after a motorcycle accident in November 2018, necessitating a long road back to recovery. Basically, a lot of shit has happened to the band since the release of 2017’s Isolator, and Curse the Son is ready to tell you all about it.” Tough truckin’.

Forming The Void – Reverie Review

By Grymm on May 7, 2020 in Reviews, Doom Metal, 32 comments

Louisiana’s Forming The Void admirably scratched my doom metal itch back in 2018 with their third full-length, Rift. Between the sludgy riffs, the Middle-Eastern-inspired noodling, and the heft of the overall package, “Rift was a respectable, enjoyable album. But with all that’s been going on in the world, my lack of free time to even listen to music, let alone review it, and finding difficulty in locating simple pleasures like liquid hand soap or toilet paper… let’s just say that I’m itching for some quality doom metal to ease my soul.” Doom therapy.