For my final review of the year (which will be more of an endorsement than a review, really), I picked a Heavy Psych compilation chock-full of bands compiled by the fine folks at Ripple Music in conjunction with Vegas Rock Revolution. In general, compilations tend to be a hit or miss affair. Not so for this one; The Revolution Lives is a collection of a who’s who of the best Doom/Heavy Psych/Stoner bands from Ripple’s impressive, ever-growing catalogue. If this were a movie, it’d get a 97% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes!
The 90-plus minute album comprised of 22 songs—21 upon release two weeks ago, with a new song popping up as of late—provides us with a great sampling of songs released on the label between 2018 and 2020. You get established icons like Wino (of The Obsessed and Saint Vitus fame), Wo Fat, Mos Generator, The Watchers, Salem’s Bend, and Mothership all the way to lesser-known/up-and-coming bands (to my knowledge anyway) like War Cloud, High Priestess, Shotgun Sawyer, and Freedom Hawk. Highlights for me are the hypnotic Wino track, “Isolation”, the energetic opening song from Freedom Hawk, “Brutal Winds”, High Priestess’s brooding “Hour Glass”, and Mothership’s terrific live rendition of “City Nights.”
This one has it all, folks. It also solidifies Ripple Music as one of the top-tier indie labels and go-to place for your Doom/Stoner Rock/Heavy Psych needs. And you know what’s even better? It’s a “Pay what you want” release on Bandcamp! Seriously, what more could you ask for? Stop reading this and go throw a couple (or a lot) of bucks their way and support these hard-working bands in what has been a very trying year for us all but a particularly challenging one for artists. The Revolution Lives is a benefit for the bands, so buy a copy and take it for a spin on your favorite MP3 player/cell phone/old school sound system.
Ripple Music’s Bandcamp page: https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/
The Revolution Lives’ Bandcamp page: https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/ripple-vrr-the-revolution-lives
Thank you so much for the fantastic review!!!
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