US heavy metallers DOCTOR SMOKE share new video « The Rope »; new album out next week on Ripple Music.

Ohio-based occult metal foursome DOCTOR SMOKE teamed up with Invisible Oranges to present their third video « The Rope », an intense 3-minute anthem filled with skyscraping riffing and deliciously demented hooks. Their new album ‘Dreamers and the Dead’ will be issued on September 3rd on Ripple Music. 

Say Invisible Oranges editors: « The Ohioan heshers never, ever stop riffing. I mean, they don’t even really slow down: their burly, fantastical heavy metal just segues from one habit-forming earworm to the next. While taking some cues from stoner rock and doom, there’s a clear shift from the fuzzier, stoner-ish metal of their 2014 debut The Witching Hour, bringing the vocals into focus and introducing some modern grit to help the devilishly complex rhythm side of the record hit home. »

⚰️ Watch Doctor Smoke slay on new video « The Rope » ⚰️

Frontman Matt Tluchowski adds: « The Rope is the final song written for the new album, and one of our personal favorites, “The Rope” is a song which lyrics speak for itself. It creates a stark contrast with dark subject matter against upbeat melodies. The accompanying video was created in true DIY fashion, shot with an iPhone 11 and self-edited.« 

Fueled by classic heavy metal and dark heavy rock, DOCTOR SMOKE return with the follow-up to their revered 2014 debut ‘The Witching Hour’. Boasting a hair-raising depth of sound, ‘Dreamers and the Dead’ charges ahead through ten tracks of unflinchingly infectious songcraft, crowned by an outstanding performance from Matt Tluchowski on vocals. Metal Injection recently described the album as « a great crossroads between Ghost and Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats in terms of catchiness-meets-heaviness », so get ready to make your hips sway and raise those horns! Don’t miss their latest videos « This Hallowed Ground » and « Been Here Forever« . 

DOCTOR SMOKE ‘Dreamers and the Dead’
Out September 3rd on Ripple Music

It’s been seven years since DOCTOR SMOKE’s 2014 debut, ‘The Witching Hour’, which was enough to send the band off touring the East Coast and find them joining forces with Totem Cat Records for a 2015 release. Founded in 2012, the band’s current lineup consists of vocalist/guitarist Matt Tluchowski along with Steve Lehocky on lead guitar, Jeff Young on bass, and Cody Cooke on drums. And rest assured, the energy they bring forth on Dreamers and the Dead justifies the loyalty their fanbase has shown them over time. Building on the first album’s accomplishments even as they chase speedy sonic demons down an it’s-not-about-genre highway while remaining so thoroughly in command of what they’re doing you can’t help but follow them.

Hooks abound, but the quality of DOCTOR SMOKE’s work has algorithm-punching weight behind it that’s beyond getting stuck in your head. “Reborn into Darkness,” “Waking Dreams,” “Out of Time,” and indeed “This Hallowed Ground” – these are songs that do more than justify the wait for a follow-up from a band who showed so much promise their first time out. They speak to an ethic of creativity that isn’t about this year-end list or that pseudo-critical aplomb but creating a collection of songs for the listener to live with, to take hold of as their own and to embrace beyond the confines of a style or trend. It’s not about capturing the moment, it’s about making it better. If you’re not dreaming, you’re dead. So pick a side already. (Words by JJ Koczan)

DOCTOR SMOKE is
Matt Tluchowski — Vocals/Guitar
Steve Lehocky — Lead Guitar
Jeff Young — Bass
Cody Cooke — Drums

DOCTOR SMOKE links
Website⎪Facebook⎪Bandcamp⎪Spotify⎪Instagram

RIPPLE MUSIC links
Website⎪Facebook⎪Bandcamp⎪Instagram⎪Youtube

On heavy rotation