ALBUM REVIEW: Witch Ripper – Homestead

Here I review the debut album from Stoner Metallers WITCH RIPPER! Out today on DHU Records!

1. Wasteland begins with feedback, a very old school way to kick things off. The crunchy guitars come in nicely with well built drums and quite an exciting feel to it. The fills on the drums are absolutely killer, guitar riffing that builds up is a great way to start and I think this will be a strong foundation. The creeping groove of the song is melodic and laid back with a really tight, crunchy, punch to it. The vocals are full of aggressive howled menace, sounding really brilliant and forceful. There is a clean tinge to them though which make them very palatable too. The guitar leads are really nice with a smooth, bluesy and soulful approach letting simplicity win. The track has a classic meandering structure which is very slow to burn through, really cool way to start off the album. Sludgy as hell too with some crushing riffs and some fantastic clean vocals that resemble Pallbearer somewhat.
2. Swarm jumps into life with much more chaotic drums, grinding guitars and hasty shouted vocals. The articulation of the track is incredibly strong and overall an intense listen! Some nicely shredded guitars break through and the much more assaulting song does in fact feel like a “swarm” until we are met with some really nice progressive songwriting and great instrumentals. The militantly storming groove and catchy riffs are absolutely excellent and this song is evidently very well written and structured with so much punchy hook to it. Great work!
3. S.L.U (The Hive) breaks in with some nice riffs, a more simple attack on drums and a nice classic Rock influence. The dissonant guitars and howled vocals really work nicely together, creating an eerie vibe that you know is building to something really cool. The bombastically doomy riffs hit really hard and with so much force, absolutely epic. The ferocity of the track is awesome to behold. The bass and drum only section works nicely and when rejoined by soaring lead guitars everything falls back into place very well. The clean vocals are stunning and resembled the style Mastodon use somewhat. Brilliant!
4. Ngenechen opens with some heavy breathing and once more kicks right into things with upbeat and really boisterous riffing and drums that are super catchy and well built in. The clean vocals work incredibly well with the lead guitars while the rhythm, bass and drums underlay it all nicely. The harsher vocals add some contrast and diversity, this track really offers the full package, nicely showing what the band have to offer! Once again there is a very strong Mastodon vibe or at least to my ear there is. The complexity of the track is certainly appreciated. Overall a really killer song with some nice thrashy parts to it too and tons of atmosphere!
5. Sucker Punch opens with some really epic riffs that bring everything in nicely with intense drums to match and such a strong start. The blasting verse with gruesome snarled vocals from the frontman really pushing the aggression forward. The catchy and upbeat lead riffs are really tasteful and a fun addition to the already damn great song. The groove is absolutely unrelenting and this is a perfect head banging song for sure! The soulful lead lines work really nicely before going into nice tapped licks. There is a more melancholic dissonant section really breaking things up and adding a haunting sense of foreboding to the piece. Incredibly catchy and really enjoyable! A wonderful track, my favourite of the album, with a sick ending!
6. Bog March is more slow paced with drawn out guitars, brutal drums and a groove still present but in a more laid back manner. The short piece escalates the momentum of the album even further and adds to its huge attack very well. The drums on this are crazy too with a badass tribal feel to them in parts. This track almost feels like a band going offstage before on encore (being the final track next) which is a cool idea for sure. Good stuff.
7. The Witch grinds into fruition with intense riffing, stampeding drums and a really ferocious vibe to it. The vocals harshly cascade over the instrumental chaos creating something really in your face yet still very precise and well thought through. The song is really elevated and full of life with a melancholy yet also tranquility very present between layers of rock hard aggressive parts. Some absolutely superb songwriting and execution here! The lyrics are interesting to listen to which helps the songs unpredictable and captivating nature even more. I love how the song travels through various soundscapes with both harsher and lighter parts woven really well together. A great closing piece and certainly one of the tracks from the album everyone should check out! Wonderfully done!

This is some really strong Stoner / Sludge Metal with tons of aggression, catchy riffs and some nice progressive elements too! Wicked first album! -7/10