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The Watchers Watch, "Black Abyss" Stares Back

Building on the satisfying blend of bluesy AOR hooks and early-era metal dynamics of their debut EP Sabbath Highway, Bay Area lifers The Watchers return with their first full-length Black Abyss. It’s a natural progression, though not necessarily a heavier one. The songs found within lean more toward hard rock than metal, but that’s for the better in this context. The Watchers aren’t kids — Black Abyss may be a debut full-length, but it reflects a deeper understanding of rock’s history and (especially) what a listener checking out Ripple Music’s label roster will be into.

Lead single “Alien Lust” makes no illusions as to what’s going on here: big ‘n bright guitars, a thunderous rhythm section (what band wouldn’t want their bass player’s name to be Cornbread?), and singer Tim Narducci’s brilliant, arena-ready voice. Uncharacteristically, there is a subtle post-grunge vibe permeating the track’s production which adds to its mainstream-like accessibility. The song’s pacing and structure are built on the classic rock blueprint, which at this point is predictable but hardly a detraction.

As much as music listeners demand fresh and innovative experiences, many of us equally crave familiarity and proven systems. There’s a veritable army of get-off-my-lawn uncles and dads out there, all grumbling the same refrain: “Back in my day, we didn’t have this junk you call ‘music.’ Where are the real rock bands?” Well… here’s Exhibit A.

Vocalist Tim Narducci had this to say about the song:

“Alien Lust” is one of the first songs from BLACK ABYSS that Max Norman and the band collaborated on for the mix process. It’s a track loaded with most of the elements that The Watchers are comprised of: heavy, dark, and melodic, with twisted lyrics and a ripper of a guitar solo.”

Black Abyss is out March 9th. Follow The Watchers on Facebook.