I came to Imperfection with a bit of caution, not because I doubted HEBI KATANA, but because after three albums of raw, sticky Tokyo doom, you start wondering how much more weight a trio can carry without spilling over into overkill. What hits first is how completely they don’t care about that question. The riffs […]
Witching Chronicles: Exploring the RAVINE’s Chaos and Catastrophes
From the rainy, gray corners of Portland, Oregon, a new monster crawls out of the sludge. Chaos and Catastrophes, the first full-length from Ravine, doesn’t bother with pleasantries – it hits you fast and leaves your head ringing like you just got flattened by a truck. This record smells like bourbon, burnt rubber, and wet […]
Witching Riffs: Behind the Sound of THUNDER HORSE
Thunder Horse formed in San Antonio, Texas, in 2018 when Stephen Bishop (vocals, rhythm guitar) and Todd “The Bird” Connally (lead guitar) joined forces, later rounding out the lineup with Dave Crow (bass) and Johnny Lightning (drums). Their debut album on Ripple Music introduced a heavy, doom-laden sound that they pushed further on 2021’s Chosen […]
Witching Chronicles: Exploring The HOLYROLLER’s Rat King
Nothing polite here. Nothing neat. HolyRoller don’t bother with tidy riffs or clean choruses – they deal in dirt, fuzz, and the kind of riffs that crawl under your skin and stay there. Rat King hits like a fuse lit in a basement; you don’t just listen, you get shoved into it. The record thrums […]
Witching Riffs: Behind the Sound of KIND
KIND formed in 2013 and released their debut album “Rocket Science” on Ripple Music in the waning days of 2015. That album garnered favorable reviews across the board, including from Metal Hammer who stated that it built up “an atmosphere that’ll sound awesome played live”. That was proven by a West Coast tour KIND undertook […]
Witching Chronicles: Exploring The Crystal Spiders’ Metanoia
Let’s be clear from the jump: Metanoia doesn’t ask for your attention – it drags you under by the collar of your patched-up denim vest and doesn’t let go until it’s rattled your teeth and rearranged something in your chest cavity. This is a record born from smoke and reverb, but sharpened by lived experience […]
Witching Chronicles: Exploring The SHEEV’s Ate’s Alchemist
There’s something deeply satisfying when a record rolls in and just refuses to sit neatly on your shelf. SHEEV’s Ate’s Alchemist is that kind of beast – the kind that claws at you in your sleep and smells faintly of burnt incense, crushed amps, and regret. You try to file it under stoner, prog, or […]
Witching Chronicles: Exploring The Pelegrin’s Al-Mahruqa
It took me a couple plays to even understand if this was a “band” in the usual sense. Because this thing doesn’t behave like a record put together in a jam space and tracked over a weekend. It’s not locked in like that. It moves more like a memory. Or like it was uncovered, not […]
Witching Chronicles: Exploring The HÅNDGEMENG’s Satanic Panic Attack
Let’s get one thing straight: Satanic Panic Attack isn’t trying to impress you. It doesn’t care about your playlists or your genre tags. This thing came howling out of the Norwegian wastelands like a grease-soaked demon on a chopper, middle finger raised, speakers blazing, and no goddamn brakes. HĂ…NDGEMENG aren’t here to reinvent the wheel […]
Witching Chronicles: Exploring The Rainbows Are Free’s Silver and Gold
On a quiet night when the city is winding down, Silver and Gold comes off like a last-minute set recorded in the low light of a dive – raw and uncut. The album feels like a record of long, rough sessions, with every chord bearing the marks of countless rough nights. In a sea of […]