Thank you, Spotify (and to a lesser degree, YouTube). I stumbled across Cloudkicker after bouncing around the “Fans Also Like” section of Spotify while listening to bands like Pelican and Russian Circles.
Even ten years ago, it would’ve been difficult to hear music like this. But today, it’s so easy to find related music and quickly check out other bands.
There’s not a lot of information put there about Cloudkicker, other than it’s Ben Sharp as a one-man band in Columbus, Ohio. He records, mixes and masters his music, and plays all the instruments (or programs the drums). It’s certainly much easier to do all of that nowadays – inexpensive recording equipment and more powerful computers make it possible to create professional-level recordings in your bedroom.
And while it may be easier to record and release music, that doesn’t mean it’s any easier to write and create music that is unique and pushes boundaries.
As I was listening to snippets of instrumental post-metal bands, some stuck out, many were forgettable, but nothing has grabbed me like Cloudkicker.
Much of the band’s earlier output is metal, influenced by bands like Meshuggah. But recent releases have incorporated more atmospheric sections, and a bit more melody.
The song highlighted below is the best of both worlds: heavy and grinding, but with a melodic hook that literally gets stuck in my head: In the live video, recorded on tour with Intronaut, the hook begins at the 40 second mark. Give it a try.
