Desert Psychlist has been inundated with requests from Australian bands of late, some good, some bad and some teetering in the middle but all with the same aim of trying to get their sounds out to a wider appreciative audience. One band to have come knocking at Desert Psychlist's chipped and battered door consist of five Melbourne guys plying their trade under the collective name of The Ruiner.
The Ruiner, Jason V- Vocals, Ben Stokes- Drums, Adam Stokes- Guitar, Craig Westwood- Guitar and Jason PC- Bass had been playing together in one incarnation or another around Melbourne's live circuit for quite a while but it was not until 2012 that it was decided it was time to get serious and go out under the banner of The Ruiner. In 2013 the band released a couple of single tracks "The Bull" and "Cobalt Volcano" via Bandcamp but things went a bit quiet until the band announced this year (2016) the forthcoming release of "The Ruiner" a self titled album available via Desert Highways.
The Ruiner come at you like a pack of rabid dogs slavering and drooling with manic wide eyed intent. Throat shredding vocals snap and snarl over a two guitar onslaught of distortion drenched crunching riffage and gnarly fuzz dripping solo's pushed into overdrive by bone shattering bass and thunderous drum patterns. On songs like "Hubble", "Fleshlight" and "The Bull" this sonic maelstrom of riff and rhythm takes on a sludgey EYEHATEGOD type vibe with the heavy grooves spliced with touches of deep southern swagger and swampy dark intensity but where things get really interesting is when the band step outside these grooves and get a little experimental as on the deliciously dark and atmospheric "In Dirt", a bluesy lament that mixes harsh and clean vocals together on a rollercoaster ride of differing musical dynamics and the schizophrenic "Volcano" with it's Edge (U2) type guitar intro. The band leave the best till last though with the mighty "Hanging", a doom drenched road trip through hell, it's thunderous groove leaning heavily towards the "epic" end of the doom spectrum that, apart from the larynx ripping vocals, has within its sludgey grooves a touch of Gates of Slumber and Pallbearer about it..
The Ruiner may not be quite the finished article yet but with this, their first album, they are most definitely on the right track.
Check 'em out ....
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