The Watchers – Black Abyss

Author: Sammy Fröbel

Band: The Watchers
Album: Black Abyss
Genre: Heavy Rock
Label: Ripple Music
Release Date: March 9, 2018
Listen & Buy: JPC, Amazon, Bandcamp, Spotify, iTunes
Social: Facebook
Live: –
Website: –

The art of being a supergroup is to create something new out of the previous work with other bands. This is what The Watchers did with their second release “Black Abyss”. You can hear the influence of Orchid, Spiral Arms and Black Gates in every single note since the San Francisco/Bay Area-based foursome delivers heavy Rock riffs with a badass attitude. Unfortunately, The Watchers are not very innovative. Some dark moments here, a great guitar solo there, but all in all “Black Abyss” sounds like the typical Hard Rock album: a load of guitar solos, fat riffs and succinct vocals. The concept seems to work. The Watchers are touring all over the USA, together with bands like Saxon.

May 24, 2018 Add Comment

Blackwülf – Sinister Sides

Author: Tamino Freitag

Band: Blackwülf
Album: Sinister Sides
Genre: Grunge / Doom
Label: Ripple Music
Release Date: February 23, 2018
Listen & Buy: JPC, Amazon, Bandcamp
Social: Facebook, Instagram
Website: blackwulfusa.com

Blackwulf from Oakland are back with their third record, again released on Ripple Music. And what an album it is! Diverse, but not experimental, and fresh without being too modern. “Sinister Sides” is rooted deep in the sound of bygone decades, yet is not a simple copy. The opener “Gate Of Sorrow” breathes Alice In Chains (Singer Alex’ voice is similar to Layne Staley’s), the second song is a fluffy, light rocker, a non-kitschy ballad brings on the feels, and the rest is riffing like as if straight out of Birmingham. Awesome record, buy it and love it!

March 4, 2018 Add Comment

Borracho – Riffography

Author: Andy Miller

Band: Borracho
Album: Riffography
Genre: Stoner Rock
Label: Ripple Music
Release Date: December 8, 2017
Listen & Buy: JPC, Amazon, Spotify, iTunes, Bandcamp
Social: Facebook, YouTube, Twitter
Live: –
Website: borrachomusic.com

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Washington DC’s Stoner Rock juggernauts Borracho are back with “Riffography”, a collection of rarity tracks from the last ten years. Released on the back of Atacama, it’s a great collection with a Scorpions cover and it really highlights what the band is about. Loud, fuzzy, groove-filled riffs with powerful vocals. This trio of hard rocking dudes had a busy twelve months. The band is a powerhouse, weaving grooves everywhere they can. Plenty of cowbell, and big thick chunky riffs to keep your head spinning for days.

February 10, 2018 Add Comment

Ozone Mama – Cosmos Calling

Author: Andy Miller

Band: Ozone Mama
Album: Cosmos Calling
Genre: Stoner Rock
Label: Ripple Music
Release Date: January 19, 2018
Listen & Buy: JPC, Amazon, Spotify, iTunes, Bandcamp
Social: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter
Live: –
Website: ozonemama.com

“Cosmos Calling” by the Hungary-based Stoner/Southern Rock band Ozone Mama is a fantastic, organic sounding hard rock album. Grooves like Led Zeppelin, and has elements of the Allman Brothers Band, and slight Soundgarden vibes. From the anthemic catchiness of songs like “The Alchemist”, to the psychedelia-drenched “Evil Ways”, these dudes know what they’re doing, and they do it well. This album is full of fantastic riffs, hard tight grooves, and occult influenced lyrics, upbeat and determined. More American than 95% of American music today. For fans of Stoner Rock with a Southern Rock flair to it.

February 10, 2018 Add Comment

Witchcryer – Cry Witch

Author: Sammy Fröbel

Band: Witchcryer
Album: Cry Witch
Genre: Doom Metal
Label: Ripple Music
Release Date: January 20, 2018
Listen & Buy: JPC, Amazon, Spotify, iTunes, Bandcamp
Social: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube
Live: –
Website: –

Why does the witch cry? Because she gets tortured with heavy riffs and sinful grooves. This Austin-based quartet delivering its first full-length album, is a heavy fuzz explosion on your record player. Witchcryer formed around Earthen Grave’s guitarist Jason Muxlow in 2015 and are influenced by the likes of Pentagram and Witchfinder General. The Witch on the stake is vocalist Suzy Bravo with her strong harmonic, but dark and seductive voice. Witchcryer combine heavy psychedelic sounds with classic Doom, which makes them one of the most interesting bands this year. Fans of Electric Citizen and The Devil’s Blood should definitely give this album a spin. Absolute banger of this nine-track record is the name giving opener “Cry Witch”.

February 3, 2018 Add Comment

Switchblade Jesus & Fuzz Evil – Second Coming Of Heavy: Chapter 7

Author: Sammy Fröbel

Band: Switchblade Jesus & Fuzz Evil
Album: Second Coming Of Heavy: Chapter 7
Genre: Stoner Rock
Label: Ripple Music
Release Date: December 8, 2017
Listen & Buy: JPC, Amazon, Spotify
Social: Facebook (Switchblade Jesus), Facebook (Fuzz Evil)
Live: –

The bandname Fuzz Evil is a warning. Fuzzy riffs and groovy drums are coming for you on “The Second Coming For Heavy: Chapter 7”. Together with Switchblade Jesus, Fuzz Evil released one of the most interesting records in 2017’s Stoner Rock. The trio offers a lot of catchy riffing and the deep growling of singer Eric Calvert. The must-listen song on this split release from the two befriended American bands is “Wet Lungs” by Switchblade Jesus, opening with a sound collage into a Country track which transforms into a spacy Psychedelic groove later. Influences are: Black Mountain, Clutch & Melvins. This split is a perfect mix from two bands’ strongest musical components in seven songs.

January 3, 2018 Add Comment

Freedom Hawk – s/t (Re-Release)

Author: Tamino Freitag

Band: Freedom Hawk
Album: s/t
Genre: Stoner Rock
Label: Ripple Music
Release Date: September 22, 2017
Listen & Buy: JPC, Amazon, Bandcamp
Social: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter
Live: –

Eight years after its original release, Freedom Hawk‘s second full-length gets a re-release, so anyone, who has not been able to get his or her hands on the original pressing, can enjoy. Freedom Hawk‘s bluesy, riff-laden Stoner Rock hits the mark on every track on this self-titled release. The groove is irresistible, the guitars drop riffs as tasty as can be, and production compliments every aspect of the band’s sound. The main influence here seem to be the old Kyuss classics – although singer T.R. Morton sounds more like Ozzy than the man himself nowadays. This is the sort of music that makes you want to heat up your BBQ on your balcony in the middle of November. If you dig the genre, you will dig the album!

November 19, 2017 Add Comment