Thursday, February 8, 2018

Rip VanRipper - Pars Flaccida (2018)


Hey it's some fellow Michiganders who happen to play Stoner/Sludge/Doom, and these guys sound down to bake out! Combining the sounds of Dopethrone, Church of Misery, and a little bit of Beastmaker, Rip Van Ripper are high on dope and ready to lay down some tasty stoner riffage. Combining Traditional Doom templates with Stoner/Sludge grooves, Rip Van Ripper are super dank for sure, and sound nasty as fuck.
One thing I've noticed for sure with these dudes is that their influences they cull out seem to span over decades rather than being limited to a certain era. You can hear the 70's but it's not just rampant Sabbath and Zeppelin worship like you'd expect. There's a bit of the 80's and 90's Doom/Sludge in there, as well as the more contemporary bands I mentioned above.  These bits and pieces here and there craft some pretty sick and memorable riffs for sure.
There's definitely some fuzz in the guitar parts, but nothing that is overpowering, especially when the riffs get extra sludgy. The low detuned part come in with enough clarity to make an impact, and not seemed one big ball of mud. This could also have something to do with the bass sound as well, which while slightly distorted is almost devoid of all fuzz. The bass tone itself, sounds more like something you'd hear on an old school punk record. Think Geezer Butler playing for Black Flag. I am a fan of this drummer's foot work for sure. I really like Stoner Doom that really accents and stresses the heaviness of the guitar and bass, rather than just sitting back and staying out of the way. The vocals on this release are fucking amazing. There's a high and low death growl mix that makes this band stand out in the crowd bong in hand. There's also some cleaner vocals in there as well, and altogether it makes for a great sound. This helps in a way, because the genre itself can be pretty stale if you're not bringing something different to the table.
"Pars Flaccida" fucking rules, and is definitely one of my favorite stoner jams of the year thus far. This isn't Rip Van Ripper's first release, but it sounds like they're definitely honing in on weed metal mastery with this one. Pack a bong, order a pizza, turn this shit on, and let the party commence! I definitely recommend this one for sure! Cheers! -Samir


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