Hard to know where a split ends and a compilation begins, but in the case of Heavy Ripples Vol. 1 (Ripple Music), I’m inclined towards the former, if only because the release’s format makes you pay specific attention to each of the bands involved, rather than bludgeoning you with track after track from disparate acts. Everyone here is pretty like-minded, and there’s only four of them, so it’s not too much to handle, and the double-7” release ensures that you’re going to be really working to listen – the longest side is just about seven minutes – so Heavy Ripples isn’t something you can put on and forget about. Not that you’d want to with the likes of Stone Axe, Sun Gods in Exile, Grifter and Mighty High around anyway, but at just under 20 minutes total runtime, Heavy Ripples is an efficiently drawn beeline to the rock. Each of the bands contributes something unique to the whole, and for something you could feasibly listen to three times in an hour, Ripple’s latest split packs more memorable songs than most full-length albums. Like I say, efficient.

Stone Axe open with “Nightwolf.” The track finds the Port Orchard, Washington, revivalists in their core duo form of vocalist Dru Brinkerhoff and multi-instrumentalist/vocalist/producer T. Dallas Reed, but as usual with them, nothing in personality is lost for the lack of personnel. Brinkerhoff has enough swagger in his delivery for three bands, and I can’t think of any more appropriate way to kickoff Heavy Ripples than a non-ironic song with “night” in the title. If you know Stone Axe, you know what they’re about, and “Nightwolf” is right in line both in terms of style and quality with the bulk of their work. And excellently complemented on side B by Maine upstarts Sun Gods in Exile, whose “Over My Broken Bones” is set to appear (re-recorded) on their second Small Stone full-length later this year. Sun Gods in Exile’s Black Light White Lines was a solo-enthusiast’s wet dream, and “Over My Broken Bones” follows suit, but as was the case with that record, the guitar histrionics is backed by solid songwriting and isn’t showy just for showiness’ sake. Two strong modern classic rockers with a little over nine minutes between them, kicking out righteous jams that, even had Ripple chosen to release this as a one-disc affair, would still be worth investigating.

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UK champions of the uncomplicated Grifter have announced their Catacomb Records EP, The Simplicity of the Riff is Key is now available for download-type purchasing. They’ll also be included on a split with some killer acts courtesy of Ripple Music. I’d say more, but don’t want to spoil it. Here’s the news from the band:

We don’t have much going on gig wise at the moment, though with some exciting developments hopefully that will be changing soon. We are happy to announce though that we will be hitting the studio in October to record our debut full-length album at long last. We will also be recording a track for inclusion on a proposed split vinyl release being put together by the awesome Ripple Music label in America that will also be featuring Stone Axe, Sun Gods in Exile and Mighty High. Exciting times indeed!!!

We have also made our latest EP on Catacomb Records, The Simplicity of the Riff is Key available to buy digitally on Bandcamp so for those of you that prefer bitrates to shiny pieces of plastic now’s your chance to grab a high-quality download copy at a special low price.

The Elephantine demo and the High Unholy Mighty Rollin’ EP on Fury 76 are also available to download for free (or a small donation to the recording fund).

If you’re a fan of that which doesn’t cost money to obtain, then British riff rockers Grifter have good news for you in the form of their High Unholy Mighty Rollin’ EP, which is now available for free listening on Bandcamp. Vocalist/guitarist Ollie Stygall checks in with the following update:

First and foremost we’ll be hitting London again on Saturday June 19th for a night of rock and roll noise at The Unicorn, 227 Camden Road in the very able company of Sons of Merrick and Alternative Carpark. Entry is completely free so hopefully we’ll see a few people down there for a pint and some random shouting!!!

Secondly we’ve decided to stick out first EP, High Unholy Mighty Rollin’ up on Bandcamp as we’ve run out of copies ourselves. Please feel free to download it. The cheapskates can have it for free but if you feel generous you have the option to make a donation.

In the future we may well put the original Elephantine demo up there as well as that’s also long out of print.

In the meantime, we’ve been writing some new stuff and pretty much have all the tracks ready to go in and record our debut album. We’re just waiting for the nod from the studio for dates then once it’s complete we’ll be hassling unsuspecting labels for a release. More news as we have it.

UK rockers Grifter, who practice what they preach on their new EP, The Simplicity of the Riff is Key, are getting set to head out with Sun Gods in Exile on a short tour. In addition, the aforementioned EP is also at the presses, and there’s going to be a limited Grifter/Sun Gods in Exile split for the shows. Here’s an update from the band with more details:

The new EP on Catacomb Records entitled The Simplicity of the Riff is Key is going to pressing, the artwork is all complete and there is a tentative release date of the first week in April. Obviously we’ll be letting the world know as soon as it’s available so you can rush to buy copies!!!!

To coincide with the EP’s release we’ll be going on tour in the first week in April with Sun Gods in Exile from Boston [actually Maine – ed.] on their first visit to the UK. Their debut album on Small Stone Records, Bright Light White Lines has been getting awesome reviews pretty much everywhere so this tour is certain to kick some ass!!! There are plans to put out a split EP with Sun Gods featuring a couple of unreleased tunes by each band. This will be strictly limited edition and low key for the tour.

Catch both bands at:
Truro – Bar 200 (Live Bar) Monday April 5th
TBC Tuesday April 6th (hopefully Bristol)
Birmingham – The Old Wharf Digbeth Wednesday April 7th – support from Alunah
Sheffield – The Cremorne Thursday April 8th – support from Alunah
Leicester – Retribution Friday April 9th – support from Alunah
London – Loud Howls Festival at The Gaff, Holloway Road alongside End of Level Boss, The Freezing Fog, Suns of Thunder, Domes of Silence, Alunah, Stubb, Bodukwe and Obiat – DJ set from Orange Goblin

Plans are also afoot for our first trip to Europe as we’re looking at a couple of gigs in northern France…more news as we have it.

UK riff rockers Grifter understand. Life is complicated, and hey, sometimes music doesn?t need to be. Sure, we all love post-ambient blackened Viking drone with a subtle industrial influence, but every now and then you just want guitars, bass, drums, vocals, a beer and a groove. On their Catacomb Records extended player, The Simplicity of the Riff is Key, Grifter show there?s nothing wrong with rock for rock?s sake, resulting in a familiar yet refreshingly upbeat take on semi-Southern guitar-led ?70s-style jams.

Were it any longer, they might need something to break it up, but if Grifter?s focus is on simplicity — which according to the title of the release (and I see no reason for them to lie), it is — then they?ve got that down. Four songs, no lush intros or outros. In and out in about 16 minutes. The disc opens with a riff and closes with someone shouting, ?Fucking cunt,? in a charming British accent, leading to inevitable giggling. You get verses, choruses, bridges and endings. They supply the stoner groove, you supply the head bobs, everyone gets loaded and that?s the way it goes down.

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