The Best Band In Washington is Witch Ripper
Back in August 2014 we asked you to help us find the best unsigned bands in America. After listening to hundreds of submissions and spending weeks wringing our sweaty (sometimes tiny) hands in indecision, we finally narrowed down our pick for the most legally stoned state in the Union. The best band in Washington is Witch Ripper.
The Washington state city of Seattle is a famous hub for outsider culture on the west coast of the United States, and boasts quite the selection of tasty independent bands – so much so that our staff was rather torn on just who to crown the best in the state. Eventually, Seattle’s Witch Ripper won the hearts and minds of the jury to become Toilet Ov Hell champions of the highest order.
Witch Ripper creates a perfect balance of traditional and modern doom, with lots of melody and nary a trace of corny 70’s worship. Their quick-and-dirty debut EP is just the hazy riffgasm you’ve been aching for – four songs equally suited for smoking a spliff in the comfort of your own home or blaring out of your best buddy’s car windows on an amphetamine-fueled midnight joyride.
Go say hi to Witch Ripper on Facebook and grab their EP as a pay-what-you-want bandcamp download ASAP. Be sure to tell them a formerly chubby dweeb from Minneapolis sent you, along with all his Toilet goons. But don’t just take it from me. Here’s what some of our judges had to say:
Joe Thrashnkill: Witch Ripper hit high points on their debut EP that bring to mind the heft of Mastodon and the the melodic precision of Baroness. Sleep on this band at your own peril.
Lacertilian: Finding stray cauldrons in your neighbourhood? Broomsticks going missing? Noticing a surge in the black cat population? All out of newts? Sounds like you have a problem with witches! From the company that ground down your mammoth problem and destroyed all the pigs, we bring you Witch Ripper. They’ll stomp all over those pesky conjurers and drag them down into the sludgy mire for next to no fee. There’s never been a better time to get your witches ripped.
Honorable Mentions
A Sense of Gravity – Proggy, theatrical metalcore
A God or an Other – Trees n’ shit sludge metal
The Toilet ov Hell is on an absurd quest to find the best unsigned band in each state of this glorious union. The purpose? To shine the spotlight on bands that deserve more exposure. Also, we’re going to determine once and for all the greatest state in the nation. Each state winner is decided by a collection of 25 judges. After we’ve announced the winner of each state, we’re gonna throw them all in a winner-take-all bracket and leave the votes up to you. Who will be the best unsigned band in the United States? Which state is superior? We can’t wait to find out.
Previous winners:
Alabama — Phylum
Alaska — Terraform
Arizona – Take Over And Destroy
Arkansas – Torii
California – Destroy Judas
Colorado – The Sleer
Connecticut – Autumn’s Eyes
Delaware – Sloss
Florida – Capracide
Georgia – Lost Hours
Hawaii – Darkest Path
Idaho – Rotten Hand
Illinois – Deus Ex
Indiana – Thorr-Axe
Iowa – Blizzard at Sea
Kansas – Bummer
Kentucky – Ad Infinitum
Louisiana – Withering Light
Maine – Sylvia
Maryland – Bereave
Massachusetts – Scaphism
Michigan – Blackgate
Minnesota – Noble Beast
Mississippi – Jared Moran (Yzordderrex/Uzumaki)
Missouri – Existem
Montana – Martriden
Nebraska – Borealis
Nevada – Elephant Rifle
New Hampshire – Eerie
New Jersey – Black Table
New Mexico – Void Ritual
New York – HUSH.
North Carolina – The Seduction
North Dakota – Gorgatron
Ohio – Prize the Doubt
Oklahoma – Cottonmouth
Oregon – Drouth
Pennsylvania – Burden
Rhode Island – Eternal Khan
South Carolina – Solaire
South Dakota – Jelly Nutz Justoner
Tennessee – Forest of Tygers
Texas – Peasant
Utah – Disforia
Vermont – Vaporizer
Virginia – Grethor
(Photo VIA)
