Witch Ripper - Through the Hourglass

"I suppose I can’t blame the band for sounding heavier in 2026."

Artist: Witch Ripper
Album Title: Through the Hourglass
Record Label: Magnetic Eye Records
Genre: Progressive Metal/Stoner
For Fans Of: Mastodon, High on Fire, Baroness, Heavy Temple
Release Date: April 10th, 2026

I praised Witch Ripper’s previous album, ‘The Flight After The Fall’ (2023), for its progressive grandeur and quirky flavor. Their follow-up, ‘Through the Hourglass’ (2026), trades oddity for something darker and more organic. I suppose I can’t blame the band for sounding heavier in 2026. It feels like we’ve all lived through a decade of history, while Witch Ripper also sounds like they’ve gone through a decade of growth and traveled back several decades in influence. It would take numerous spins to fully perceive all the depth and nuance on display here, but this is just the kind of music needed for the current climate.

Rating:

“Great Album” & possible “AOTY Contender”

*See below for rating scale*

*Possible ratings on Heavy Metal Philosophy are;

All-Timer
AOTY Contender
Great Album
Pretty Good
It’s Fine
For Niche Tastes Only
Silly But Really Good At It
Bad
Annoying
Unlistenable
Not Music

*Note that some albums can have more than one rating. It’s possible for an album to be a “Great Album” and “For Niche Tastes Only”. One rating isn’t always better than another.