WITCH RIPPER · Through The Hourglass | GREEN/BLACK GALAXY LP

Transparent green/black galaxy blend vinyl in single pocket cover.

Background information about ''

Witch Ripper have been building toward this moment for years, and on "Through the Hourglass", they detonate every expectation. The Seattle-based quartet's third full-length is an absolute monster — a record that grabs you by the throat with riffs so massive they feel tectonic, then refuses to let go. What makes this album so exhilarating is how effortlessly they fuse brute force with genuine melodic brilliance. One minute you're being flattened by a sludge-drenched groove that would make Mastodon proud, the next you're soaring through a prog-inflected passage that channels the theatrical bombast of Queen and the cosmic curiosity of David Bowie. It shouldn't work this well, but Witch Ripper make it sound like the most natural thing in the world.

The seven tracks on "Through the Hourglass" unfold like a journey through some warped temporal landscape, each song a distinct chapter with its own gravitational pull. The guitar work is staggering — layers of harmonized leads, thick chugging riffs, and sudden bursts of technical wizardry that never feel showy. The rhythm section deserves its own ovation, locking into grooves that swing from stoner rock swagger to breakneck metal fury without missing a beat. There are echoes of Baroness in the way the melodies twist and bloom, hints of High on Fire's primal stomp, and even flashes of Coheed and Cambria's modern prog sensibilities. But here's the thing: Witch Ripper aren't just wearing influences on their sleeves — they're synthesizing them into something that feels genuinely fresh. "Through the Hourglass" is the sound of a band hitting their stride with absolute confidence, and it's easily one of the most thrilling heavy records you'll hear this year.

For fans of:
Mastodon, Baroness, High on Fire, Coheed and Cambria, Kylesa, Torche

Track listing

1. Odyssey in Retrograde
2. The Portal
3. Symmetry of the Hourglass
4. Echoes and Dust
5. The Clock Queen
6. Proxima Centuari
7. The Spiral Eye

Manufacturer: ProMedia GmbH, Im Gartenfeld 1, 54516 Flußbach, Germany, Contact: merhq.net