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Erupting out of Oakland, California in 2014, War Cloud has left a smoking path across much of the USA over the past five years. Formed by guitarist/vocalist Alex Wein after firmly planting his amps in the Bay Area, he unified a crew with Joaquin Ridgell on drums, Taylor Roach on bass, and most recently Nick Burks on guitar (also of Kentucky rockers, Stonecutters).
Adopting a classic 70s rock and 80s power metal approach and aggressively dousing it in modern sophistication, War Cloud released their self-titled debut album on Ripple Music to much acclaim in 2017. Their take on metal is a dish best served heavy and those that have dined on the likes of Saxon, Motorhead, Kiss, Thin Lizzy and Iron Maiden will no doubt appreciate the hard rock sophistication, dipped deep in ’70s fuzz.
Touring extensively in support of their debut record, War Cloud adapted a take no prisoners strategy with the intent to decimate all from the opening tone of each engaging live show and recently completed recording their sophomore full-length, State of Shock. Set to arrive this September, once again with Ripple Music, the song writing on the album led the band in the direction of a strong concept which thematically surrounds a life in war – be it with friend, enemy, or self.
Embracing their recognizable dual guitar harmonies, proto-metal licks, hard charging rhythms, adding heavy surges of British and Southern metal to inspire the fire, War Cloud has unquestionably upgraded their bomber jets for long-range pursuit.
State of Shock by War Cloud is officially released on 27th September 2019 on Ripple Music.
Erupting out of Oakland, California in 2014, War Cloud has left a smoking path across much of the USA over the past five years. Formed by guitarist/vocalist Alex Wein after firmly planting his amps in the Bay Area, he unified a crew with Joaquin Ridgell on drums, Taylor Roach on bass, and most recently Nick Burks on guitar (also of Kentucky rockers, Stonecutters).
Adopting a classic 70s rock and 80s power metal approach and aggressively dousing it in modern sophistication, War Cloud released their self-titled debut album on Ripple Music to much acclaim in 2017. Their take on metal is a dish best served heavy and those that have dined on the likes of Saxon, Motorhead, Kiss, Thin Lizzy and Iron Maiden will no doubt appreciate the hard rock sophistication, dipped deep in ’70s fuzz, as showcased on their new single, ‘Striker’:
Touring extensively in support of their debut record, War Cloud adapted a take no prisoners strategy with the intent to decimate all from the opening tone of each engaging live show and recently completed recording their sophomore full-length, State of Shock. Set to arrive this September, once again with Ripple Music, the song writing on the album led the band in the direction of a strong concept which thematically surrounds a life in war – be it with friend, enemy, or self.
Embracing their recognizable dual guitar harmonies, proto-metal licks, hard charging rhythms, adding heavy surges of British and Southern metal to inspire the fire, War Cloud has unquestionably upgraded their bomber jets for long-range pursuit.
‘State of Shock’ is deliciously old school. What War Cloud has made here would fit right in with the music we know and love from the 80s. There are elements here that call back to Deep Purple or AC/DC among many others from the era, but War Cloud manages to be very much their own thing instead of feeling like another band simply trying to copy what worked for others before. I think these days it is hard to be your own thing while following in the footsteps of the greats. They manage it here and it is good to see.
For me, music in this style is more about the experience. Track 2 “White Lightening” probably captured this the best for me. It is loud and fast-paced and a lot of fun. It brings to mind the wide-open American roads and speeds a little too fast with a blarings stereo. I can tell you it feels right at home there too. The rest of the album also fits right into a great road trip as well. The whole album is just a great feel-good experience that goes really well, as cheesy as it sounds, in an adventure.
Musically, the mix is rather good; however, I do think that the vocals are a bit low at times and tend to get lost. It doesn’t take too much from the overall experience and is not a deal-breaker, but it does need to be mentioned. Other than the vocals though the rest of the mix is well put together. The guitar is nice and clear with a very enjoyable crunch. The bass and drums are punchy and well defined and do really well to drive the music. This makes for a really fun, but unfortunately kind of short album.
‘State of Shock’ is definitely one that is worth a buy. I do not think you will be disappointed. It is a great album that is very enjoyable and will go well with whatever you are doing. Whether that is work or a road trip or a party with friends this goes well. Many of the songs I felt would fit right at home in Dean Winchester’s Impala from ‘Supernatural’. It just has that fun, something bigger, vibe to it. I think that many great memories will be made while listening to this album. It is well worth the ride.
WAR CLOUD:
♦ Alex Wein – Vocals, Guitar
♦ Nick Burks – Guitar
♦ Joaquin Ridgell – Drums
♦ Taylor Roach – Bass
01. Striker 03:36
02. White Lightning 02:53
03. Dangerous Game 05:52
04. Tomahawk 03:56
05. Seeing Red 04:59
06. Do Anything 02:56
07. Means of Your Defeat 04:20
08. State of Shock 04:54
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