Release
date: September 08th 2017. Label: Ripple Music. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl
War
Cloud – S/T – Tracklisting
1.Give'r 04:08
2.Chopper Wired
02:57
3.Divide and Conquer
04:29
4.Hurricane 03:24
5.No Man's Land
04:24
6.Red Witch 04:13
7.Speed Demon 03:17
8.Vulture City 04:05
Members
Alex Wein –
Vocals/Guitar
Tony Campos –
Guitar
Joaquin Ridgell –
Drums
Review
War Cloud's self-titled
album is an seventies hard-rocking album that blends Classic Rock,
Doom and Stoner Rock sounds. War Cloud is influenced by the legendary
guitar bands of such as Thin Lizzy, UFO, Uriah Heep and Deep Purple. The album is never too
flash or progressive for its own good. With War Cloud creating a fine
amount of heavy twin-guitar riffage.
Opening track - Give'r
- is hard-rocking anthem if I ever heard one. Driven by classic
dual/twin guitar sound with elements of psychedelic rock and groovy
vocals make a winning start. The song does have a vintage sounding
heavy metal feel with a cool seedy underbelly starting to creep in.
Second track - Chopper
Wired - is pure classic hard rock carnage with War Cloud playing
finely tuned riffs that's perfectly matched against the OTT lyrics
and splendid vocals that make this a classic rock fan's dream come to
life. Who cares if the album doesn't break any new ground musically.
War Cloud knows what they are and they are miles ahead of the
competition with expertly written melodies that captures the sound of
the legendary seventies/eighties Hard Rock/Metal scene.
The album does move
into heavier waters especially on the third track - Divide And
Conquer - which has a slight Black Sabbath sensibility merged with
NWOBHM sounds. Though it's the dual/twin guitar riff worship the band
use to the best of their abilities that holds your attention
throughout.
War Cloud would make brilliant touring buddies to Ripple
Music legends - Mothership. As they both play a similar style of
music. Sure Mothership maybe more into the cosmic side of things.
The album sounds
intense and fantastic from the start. It perhaps ranks as the best
sounding album Ripple Music have released this year. The album is
loud and vibrant which elevates War Cloud's sound to Stadium Rock
levels. Other songs on the album such as Hurricane, Red Witch and
Speed Demon sees War Cloud opt for a faster style of music.
The music is addictive
and played with a no-nonsense approach. My only complaint is that the
album is on the short side running under thirty three minutes. I wish
there were a couple more songs just to make the album last more.
Though I suppose this keeps with the short album running times of
albums released in the seventies from bands such as Thin Lizzy.
At least War Cloud will
keep you supremely entertained throughout the entire album.
Especially when War Cloud focus on playing heavy epic riffs that will
have you pressing the rewind/repeat button on your media player. War
Cloud's debut album may have a "classic" sounding
sensibility but it's an album that will go down a storm with not only
the classic rock brigade but also the modern stoner rock collective.
All in all, War Cloud
has delivered a truly superb and brilliantly entertaining debut
album. What more could you possibly want....
Words by Steve
Howe
Thanks to Sheltered
Life for the promo. War Cloud S/T is now available to buy on
CD/DD/Vinyl via Ripple Music now.
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