War Cloud Premiere Video for “Red Witch”
Oakland classic heavy rockers/proto-metallers/whatever-they’re-good-ers War Cloud have been readily hitting stages since making their self-titled debut (review here) last Fall on Ripple Music. Their new video for the track ‘Red Witch’ from that album would seem to be one of at least two they’ll issue this summer, as they’ve also posted on the social medias that they’ll have one out for “Chopper Wired,” but it’s hard as hell to argue with the hook of “Red Witch” and I find that as I make my way through I’m not inclined to try. The song appears on side B of the record — track six of eight on CD or digital — but it’s nonetheless worth the focus of the new clip, the premiere of which you can see below.
In terms of the record as a whole, “Red Witch” is pretty indicative of what works well in War Cloud‘s sound. As alluded to above, they straddle the line between heavy rock and metal, but even their most thrashing riffs from guitarists Alex Wein (also vocals) and Tony Campos and thickest lumber from bassist Taylor Roach come accompanied by a fervent swing in Joaquin Ridgell‘s drumming, so there’s never really a loss of momentum, regardless of where an individual track might go. The rolling groove of “Red Witch,” for example, nestles easily into its lead riff and charges out from there. With the crashing “No Man’s Land” before and “Speed Demon” afterward, it would almost be easy for the track to get lost in the mix were it not for the fact that the chorus is so standout-memorable.
The classic riff and the open lines of its verses create a cycle that should be immediately familiar to experienced heads, but whether they’re drawing from Judas Priest, Sabbath or the earliest days of thrash, War Cloud’s songwriting helps them maintain an identity of their own. No doubt the touring they did earlier this year to support the self-titled and the Midwest tour they’re soon to announce around their appearance at the Doomed and Stoned Festival in Indianapolis will help that out as they start to think about moving onto their next offering. Either way, the bottom line is War Cloud made one of last year’s best debuts, and it’s no challenge at all to look forward to what they might do from here in realizing their potential.
Please check out the premiere for “Red Witch” below. I’ve also included the album stream at the bottom of the post, because more likely than not after the one song is over you’re going to want to revisit the whole record. I know I did.
Enjoy:
War Cloud, “Red Witch” official video premiere
Music Video for War Cloud’s “Red Witch” from their 2017 self-titled debut album, on Ripple Music.
Buy the album: https://ripplemusic.bigcartel.com/artist/war-cloud
War Cloud is:
Alex Wein – Vocals/Guitar
Tony Campos – Guitar
Taylor Roach – Bass
Joaquin Ridgell – Drums
War Cloud, War Cloud (2017)
Ripple Music on Thee Facebooks
Tags: California, Oakland, Ripple Music, self-titled, War Cloud, War Cloud Self-titled
