It’s funny. Just the other day, someone was asking me who was my favorite
metal band of all time. Easy peasy, BLACK SABBATH. Then he asked me about my
favorite American metal band. The answer was RIOT. So, it’s funny that just a
day later what should come to me was this pre-release of WAR CLOUD’s spanking
new 3rd offering, “Earhammer Sessions.”
The reason I think that’s all so damn funny is that Oakland CA’s
WAR CLOUD makes me think of RIOT. The short, sharp, in-your-face metal riffs,
laced with catchy melodies and an aerial assault of lead guitar in the
scorching Montrose vein. Couple that with the vocal grit and oft-chugging
rhythms of the “Kill Em All”/Motörhead ethic and you can see why these guys are
an institution in my car at max volume.
So after their 2 initial albums, “War Cloud” (2017) and
“State Of Shock”
(2019), what makes this new “Earhammer Sessions” such a gift for the
hearing-impaired? Let’s take the name. Earhammer is a legendary metal studio in
Oakland where a
multitude of metal, crust, death metal etc has been recorded, including some of
WAR CLOUD’s personal faves, Lecherous Gaze & Savoiurs (great band, btw).
With metal guru producer Greg Wilkinson at the helm, WC decided to go in (with
newest guitarist Nick Burks in the fold) and blast through the set list of
their recent European tour, loud, raw and live.
What we have then are beefed-up, supercharged versions of a
killer swath, sliced from their catalog like glowing coals of fire. We get: “Vulture City” (WC), “Give’r” (WC), “Chopper
Wired” (WC), “White Lightning” (SOS), “Divide & Conquer” (WC), “Tomahawk”
(SOS), “Speed Demon” (WC) and “Striker” (SOS). They were all great in their
original form, but here they come to life with a far more lethal appeal and in
truth, make this every bit a brand new album.
Referencing my opening comments, there’s one thing in
particular that “Earhammer Sessions” brings to the fore. Go back to the
songwriting prowess that comes down the lineage from a band like RIOT. The way
they employ rhythm shifts under the scalding guitar solos in cuts like “Give’r”
and “Tomahawk” are what classic metal albums are made of. You can have all the
production skills, the right studio and great players you want. But when you
have the songs, the whole thing is complete! Press “RAWK” now!
WAR CLOUD:
Alex Wein - vocals / guitar
Nick Burks - guitar
Joaquin Ridgell - drums
Taylor Roach - drums
Yet another winner for Ripple Music! Out on 05/22/20.
#ripplemusic
-Ray Dorsey
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