Believe it or not, the second record from Witch Ripper is actually the second Sludge Rawk-type artist from Seattle we’re readying a review for. And! This beast also comes out on March 3rd! How do you like them apples?
Beyond the city of origin and the same release day, Witch Ripper is in a whole ‘nother category with their brand of anthemic Sludge. Sure, there are some similarities to early Baroness and the more expansive aspects of Mastodon but there’s also, GASP, some My Chemical Romance thrown in here (We’ll get to that later) along with elements of Classic Rawk sprinkled throughout. In other words, prepare to be unprepared for what’s to come from The Flight After the Fall.
The aptly titled “Enter the Loop” is a rollicking aural affair that does an ample job of initiating the uninitiated in all things Witch Ripper delving into Rawk, Doom, and Sludge among other genres while exuding an anthemic quality that brings to mind stadium pioneers like Queen at times. “Madness and Ritual Solitude” goes a different route with a tribal thumping from drummer Joe Eck to start as Chad Fox and Curtis Parker’s guitars lurch and lumber in all ominous like before becoming shreddy to give the track a decidedly more Matt Pike-inspired feel.
Next up, “The Obsidian Forge” is lush with tantalizing textures before devolving into a fuzzed out fury highlighted by a vivacious vocal approach and a mighty big closing guitar salvo followed by “Icarus Equation”. Which. Is EPIC. And leads into that aforementioned MCR connection with a repeated vocal refrain befitting the leader of the Black Parade hisself, Gerard Way. And then we get a close with “Everlasting in Retrograde” representing almost one third of The Flight… with its’ length for a neat High On Fire meets Motorhead Sludge/Rawk showdown that’s every bit as sprawling and saga-like as it sounds.
The Flight After the Fall is out now through Magnetic Eye Records with whichever format you’d like to have it on ready to peruse and purchase by heading here. For the latest from Witch Ripper, follow them across the interwebs when you click here, here, or here.