Heavy Rotation Playlist: Ruby the Hatchet
Heavy psych rockers Ruby the Hatchet are riding high again off the release of their latest album, Fear is a Cruel Master. Their first release in five years, it’s their heaviest, most riff-centric work to date and easily one of the year’s best stoner/psych albums. MetalSucks caught up with Ruby the Hatchet to find out what songs have been in their heavy rotation. There’s a sweet diversity here, ranging from proto-metal to classic rock, psych and Satan-worshipping black metal. Check out their picks below and hit their Bandcamp to hear Fear is a Cruel Master.
Goliath – “Dead Drunk Screaming”
Once upon a time I impulse bought a compilation LP called Acid Nightmare and this song has been on repeat ever since. The chorus builds up to some wild vocal harmonies that could only be described by the title of the track. —Johnny Scarps Jr (guitar)
Judas Priest – “Dissident Aggressor”
It’s the ender on Sin After Sin. The final sin if you will. If you don’t wanna bash your head into a brick wall when this song kicks in then we can’t be friends. —Johnny Scarps Jr (guitar)
Devil Master- Ecstasies of Never Ending Night
First time I heard of these guys was when one of my favorite horror artists/directors in Philly, Hayden Hall, directed the music video for “Acid Black Mass”. I’ve been hooked on Devil Master ever since. It’s also part of the reason we reached out to him to direct the “Thruster” Music video. This album is badass from start to finish and “Never Ending Night” is one of my favorite closing tracks for a record I’ve heard in recent years. —Lake Muir (bass)
delving – Hirschbrunnen
When we were recently on tour with Elder, Mike [Risberg] was actually the one to tell me about delving. I didn’t realize Nick [DeSalvo, guitar/vocals in Elder] had released a solo record under that name, so I listened to it once we got back home from tour and was immediately infatuated. The instrumentation and textures Nick created on this record are stunningly beautiful.—Lake Muir(bass)
Budgie – All Night Petrol (Self-Titled 1971)
I just added another song from this album to a Gimme Radio playlist and it made me revisit Budgie’s Self-Titled 1971 release. Ever since, I have been blasting All Night Petrol daily.—Jillian Taylor (vocals)
Wicked Lady – “The Axman Cometh”
Wicked Lady only had about a 4-year stint as a band and remain super underrated in my opinion. The Axman Cometh is an album I always go back to and come away with a new favorite each time. This self-titled track off this album is my current earworm.—Jillian Taylor (vocals)
Leaf Hound – “Freelance Fiend”
“Freelance Fiend” is a goddamn anthem for any artist, outlaw or creative human trying to exist in the world. —Jillian Taylor (vocals)
Barefoot Jerry – “That’s OK, He’ll Be Your Brother Someday”
From the album Southern Delight, I found this one via The Righteous Gemstones, a goldmine of a show especially for so many good tunes on its soundtrack. I’m a big old softie, even though some of the music I play is pretty heavy, but this tune is epic, and I love the direct injection guitars, with the wahs, the bright chiming chordal stabs. It’s huge, crispy, and bright. The harms are transcendent. It also reminds me of my late brother, as do all songs of brothers in title or spirit.—Sean Hur (organ)
The Beatles – “The Palace Of The King Of The Birds“
This is a McCartney riff, it kinda reminds me of us.
if you watched the Get Back sessions, this was one of the many written or sketched in three weeks of January 1969. That is a great year of divergence, many of the psych, rock and R&B bands of the area would start evolving rapidly, eager to go past the sixties into another phase. The Beatles were shedding the production flourishes and getting back to guitars, keys, bass and drums. This one has no lyrics and never was released but it’s such an amazing tune. I daydream of recording a bunch of lyric-less tunes of his and putting vocals into ’em and turning them into something new.—Sean Hur (organ)
Doug Jerebine – “Good News Blues”
Doug Jerebine was often referred to as the kiwi Hendrix and released one album titled Is Jesse Harper, which is loaded with heavy bluesy guitar riffs but with rhythms more akin to funkadelic. Sadly, after the release of this record, Doug became disenchanted by the industry and moved to India to become a Buddhist monk.—Owen Stewart (drums)
