Stormwatchers - Rites

Stormwatchers is a heavy rock band from the wilds of North Carolina, who formed in 2017.  Their sound is quite interesting as it combines doom, psychedelic, and blues into one massive sound. "Rites," is their full-length debut, after a previous EP. 

The three members succeed in crafting a style that sounds like they have double the members–the trio contains, and lets loose, a lot of power across the 10 song, 52 minute runtime.  

Guitarist/vocalist Celeste King is an absolute beast.  Her vocals are phenomenal!  Expressive, powerful, emotional, towering…any positive adjective I could use to describe a vocalist could be used for her and she would fucking own it.  Her guitar playing is just as commanding, she provides riffs, riffs, and more riffs.  Oh and some riffs.  

Bassist Matt Owens provides the all important low end–and he can play anything, not content to just follow the guitar around the block.  His tone is always deep and rich but can be as heavy as a brick or as melodic as a summer breeze when called upon.  He also provides vocals and his voice pairs perfectly with Celeste’s own.

Thomas Stanfel provides the powerhouse providing thunder, lighting, and impressive control as he rips through the tracks.   The band’s facebook bio mentions their influence is across the board from The Doors and Black Sabbath to Jefferson Airplane and Moody Blues.  Thomas’ still definitely shows this–the guy can play anything. 

The album opens with “Burning Road,” and it’s a good indication of what to come.  Although each song sounds different with much to offer, if you like this song then you’ll enjoy the rest of the album. Celeste sings her ass off while offering heavy riffs, while the bass rips up the ground beneath it.

The middle segment brings in some of the blues influence I mentioned early, providing a touch of epic atmosphere to it.  The drums are fantastic in this part, creating a massive sound that is like a boulder falling down a cliff as the band builds back up the final half of the song. 

The title track opens with a very dense atmosphere, showcasing the band can be as heavy as any metal band without going too far into extremity.  The main riff rides the balance between blues and sweltering groove.  I love how the bass and drums work together to complement the song, adding movement against the slower aspects of the guitar. 

The middle part of the song is the highlight, with Celeste’s soaring vocals the music that swings back and forth like a pendulum, offering a groovy crush on both ends.  The sudden uptick in tempo afterwards hits like a punch to the face and then another to the balls.  

“Another Side,” has a big, jaunty rock and roll feel to it especially in the drums and groove of the bass.  Matt’s vocals have a rough, stoner-ish vibe to them and it works well with the dirtier feel of the music. A punk rock feel is offered in the later half of the song and is very catchy. 

The album remains consistent all the way through and by the time the seventh song, “Current,” arrives, it is obvious there isn’t any filler to be had.  The opening is heavy with a doom rock swagger, the drumming hitting all the right notes while the bass accents the atmosphere.  Matt’s vocals have a gruff charm to them; the back and forth between him and Celeste completes the package.   My favorite part is around the 4:00 mark, doomy grooves and powerful drums bring it home in a big way.

“Stargazer,” is a strangely beautiful song, heavy on the psychedelic side of their sound.  This song sort of creeps in, casting its magic in a slow but steady and powerful way.   The vocals are catchy and add in a lot of what makes the song work.  At the 3:40 mark, Celeste croons “We were young…” and the whole thing works with the heavy riff, her voice just pairs extremely well when the band is rocking its face off.

The final song is “The River,” and it is an acoustic instrumental.  Despite its sonic layers shed, it’s just as heavy in its own way and, after such a heavy, sterling performance across the previous nine tracks, it’s a good way to end the album. 

Stormwatchers’ “Rites,” is a fantastic heavy rock/metal album that incorporates a lot of different styles in one cohesive sound that offers many great moments and multiple reasons to come back often for a visit.