(c) Jake Chaplin
If Witch Ripper released their first album four and a half years ago, they were still a trio, had just settled in Seattle and were looking for the ideal balance for their sound consisting of sludge, stoner and hardcore. In the meantime, Chad Fox has welcomed a second guitarist and singer, the sound has been significantly expanded and a new label has been found with Magnetic Eye. „The Flight After The Fall“ is a conceptual work with sci-fi storytelling, which musically increasingly ventures into prog to hymnic realms. That’s really good for the US quartet.
Among other things, this evolution awakens memories of Mastodon around “Crack The Syke”, when a powerful molt opened the door to new exploits. “Enter The Loop” opens the record furiously and insanely. Stoner sludge continues to be the backbone of the guys from Seattle, only now there is more prog and grandezza. Hellish descents, thick riffs and manic walls of guitars meet similarly wacky vocals, which line up clean vocals next to gruff hussar rides. Bombastic flashes repeatedly run through the action, whereby the resolution around the six-minute mark is reminiscent of Queen. That comes as a surprise, but it’s fun.
And surprises abound on this record. Stoic drumrolls introduce “Madness And Ritual Solitude”, then the descent into hoarse, biting stoner sludge depths begins. Hell on earth is near, infernal aggression meets rare moments of light. It is precisely the nervous energy of this oppressive yet rarely frenzied bastard that gets to the substance. Compared to the bouncer, however, this is harmless: “Everlasting In Retrograde Pts I & II” not only takes up almost 17 minutes, it skillfully expands the sound of Witch Ripper. Intense anger, appealing prog fanfares, stadium anthems and reduced instrumental magic torpedo any pigeonhole thinking and play out the full musicality of the band.
Sure, from time to time a few more compact arrangements would have done the trick – the four tracks before the XXL finale each take a good seven minutes – but that’s ultimately a sign of Witch Ripper’s new enthusiasm for playing. “The Flight After The Fall” wants a lot and achieves almost everything you set your mind to. Stoner sludge remains the main ingredient, but has long since stopped dominating the action on its own. The US quartet has made a huge leap forward and in this impressive form definitely has what it takes to make it big. It can only be a matter of time.
Rating: 8/10
Available from: 03/03/2023
Available through: Magnetic Eye Records / Prophecy Productions (Soulfood Music)
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Witchripper
Category: Magazin, Reviews