Fuzzripper Hits Hard With a Catchy but Heavy new Album

A massive new album from Fuzzripper gives off a damn near perfect blend of pop-punk, bright and addictive metal, infusing all of that with some amazing synth and key work that helps create this sort of pop-coated but edgy atmosphere with memorable songs, sometimes danceable, vivacious, and packed with a certain element of personality.

The Poltergeist album doesn't waste too much time getting straight to the point, with the first and title track of the record hitting with a great synthesizer that gives us a melodic hook right off the bat.

From listening to the first song alone, you begin to get a feel for what this band is all about musically. 

The synths often bring in an additional texture to the songs, but also perform these great musical hooks, which is amazing because this is a band that pulls it off seamlessly.

Musical hooks in rock are something that's been missing from the formula for years, if you ask me.

Classic rock, indie rock, certain kinds of alternative rock, and lots of pop-punk all have these great musical hooks. Yes, there are great choruses throughout this record, and a good chorus is what makes a song memorable.

However, having those musical hooks along with a great chorus is something that, as I mentioned, has been missing from the songwriter formula, especially for these genres.

Fuzzripper brings it all back, and they do it without a hitch.

The guitar tones are heavy, giving that metal and punk feel, but the vocals are bright and anthemic, which are two incredible staples that you hear throughout the record's course.

Listening to this first track will give you a little bit of an idea of what this album is about, but you should listen to this record in full, from beginning to end, to really get the full effect.

This is an album meant to be heard from start to finish because it sort of pulls you into a different world for a little bit.

These songs are pop coated, have loads of hooks, bursting with color, but still never lose that metal or punk edginess to them, and you find yourself getting pulled into the lyrics quite often.

Certain tracks hit a little bit harder than others, bearing a classic metal approach like, "Black and Red".

Songs like this one have a heavier and harder hit to them because of the riffs that are being performed. There are parts about this track that made me think of super classics like Iron Maiden.

So you have these thrashy elements to the record along with the pop punk, classic metal, and electronic synths that come in and out, bringing that additional atmosphere.

I think that's part of what draws me into this record so much.

It breeds its own atmosphere, and once you're in, you don't want to leave.

The production is perfect for the feel of the record. It's not overdone but it's just incredibly well balanced so everything has a great polish to it along with that pop underbelly so songs like "We Want Out", for example, pull off this amazing balance between something heavy and catchy with a little bit of a darker theme, and this almost synth wave underbelly because of the keys getting performed behind the track.

I meant to breed that additional atmosphere, and that's exactly what it does.

It pulls off this aesthetic, and a lot of these songs have gigantic, fists-in-the-air, sing-along style choruses that are unforgettable and stick with you for hours or even days after the songs have ended.

You have to go back and listen to those particular tracks again to satiate that.

When I was growing up, there were cassette tapes, CDs, and vinyl.

A lot of that has come back in recent years due to Indie labels and such. Back in my day, you would hear a song on the radio or read about it in an actual magazine, and you would go by the record from a store even if it was just for that one single.

The thing is, once you sit down with the album, you get pulled into the whole thing.

It was no longer just about that one track and more about the experience of the full record.

The Poltergeist album gives me that same exact feeling.

There are plenty of songs that stand on their own two feet super well as singles, but listening to the album in full is the only way to soak in the full spectrum of what it all has to offer.

That's what it's all about.

This is a banger of a record with tons of sing-along tracks that never lose their heart or heaviness.

With its release, we wanted to chat with Fuzzripper to find out if they're playing shows, where this record came from, and what might be next for the band.

Here's what went down.

RAG: Let's talk about Poltergeist! This album was packed with edgy pop-rock and punk tones and amazing energy!  Where did this record come from? 

It's from a place of childhood nostalgia. 80's horror movies and music are a huge influence on us. I wanted to create a record that recreated that feel good feeling of watching Nightmare on Elm Street and slamming back some popcorn.

RAG: I'm hearing a few different approaches to this record! Who are some of your biggest musical influences?

This album was heavily influenced by bands like Ratt(Out of the Cellar), Dokken(Tooth and Nail), Metallica(Ride the Lightning), Judas Priest(Defenders of Faith) and Ozzy Osbourne(Bark at the Moon).

RAG: Did you record this at a home setup, or at a big studio?

I recorder vocals, guitars,bass and synth in my home studio. We recording the drums with Jeremiah Scott(Demon Hunter,Destroy Destroy Destroy) at his studio The Southern Oracle. Jeremiah also mixed and mastered the album.

RAG: How did this all start for you as a band?

I(Dusty) had the idea on a 24hr Staff Duty shift when I was still in the military. The first album was heavily influenced by binge watching serial killer documentaries. My love for Halloween and horror consumed the newest album Poltergeist.

RAG: Are you guys performing live right now? 

Yes we are currently playing regionally. We are located in Clarksville,TN but travel up to 4.5 hours out to play. We would definitely travel further for an awesome show.

RAG: Now that this is out, what's next for you?

We are trying to spread the word with like minds. Every fan we get we are super thankful for them. Their reactions we get are gold to our hearts. And the conversations rolling the set make us feel like rock stars. And that's a great feeling. So we are truly thankful for the fans.

RAG: Who's in all your headphones right now?

I've been listening to the new Ghost album Skeleta. I'm a huge fan. Dom has been listening to Miasma by The Black Dahlia Murder. Tommy has been spinning Destroyed by Sloppy Seconds and Josh has been listening to The Black Parade by My Chemical Romance.

RAG: What would you tell people they can expect on this release?

You can expect heavy, melodic, dark but ever so positive at the same time. There are a lot of "goosebumps" moments that we get while listening and playing. I hope that translates.

RAG: Before we go, what would you like to express to fans of the music? 

Thank you so much rippers. Every last one of you are a dream come true and we can't wait to meet with you.

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