Tag Archives: Scott Wino Weinrich

Ritual Arcana – Album Review

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Ritual Arcana – Ritual Arcana 

Heavy Psych Sounds 

Release date: 23/01/2026 

Review by: Alun Jones 

8.5/10 

2026 is here, and here also is my first review of the year.  Finally.  Now, now – enough with the “late as usual” bants!  I’ve been busy doing something.  I’m sure I have an excuse somewhere, I’ll get back to you…  Anyway, this is an excellent place to start for the new year – the debut album from Occult Doom Rockers, Ritual Arcana. 

A new band, but with an impressive pedigree, Ritual Arcana consist of SharLee LuckyFree on bass and vocals (ex Moth), Oakley Munson on Drums (The Black Lips) and underground Stoner/Doom legend, the one and only Scott “Wino” Weinrich (of The Obsessed, Saint Vitus, Spirit Caravan etc etc) on guitar.  Slap all that on a release from Heavy Psych Sounds and you just know something serious is going down. 

In the fabled land of Stoner/Doom, The Riff is King.  And with Wino on board, the kingdom is in safe hands.  The slow, throbbing title track opens the ceremonial space, throbbing with a medieval menace.  ‘Occluded’ picks up the pace, a charging head banger that’s more infectious than an outbreak of witchcraft in New England.  That guitar tone is absolutely monolithic throughout, witness the crushing ‘Berkana’ for more evidence.   

The rest of the band ain’t taking a day off, either.  Munson’s drums rattle and crash throughout the ritual with tribal precision, and on ‘Subtle Fruits’ revs up the rhythm to thrilling heights.  And of course there’s the formidable presence of cosmic High Priestess LuckyFree, a solid, warm bass player who’s voice genuinely adds character to all the songs here.  Taking centre stage with glee and authority, LuckyFree leads the throng and particularly shines on ‘Wake the Goddess’. 

“Ritual Arcana” delivers exactly what one would expect, and does it confidently.  A little more variety in song writing would’ve propelled this album to even greater heights – some swampy blues?  An Iommi style mellow piece?  But we can leave that for album number two.  For now, this debut weaves reliably thunderous Hard Rock with a gloomy, supernatural air for an enticing experience. 

Find out more about Ritual Arcana on their website, Facebook and Instagram pages.

This review is brought to you by Platinum Al in association with Ever Metal.

Wino – Forever Gone Album Review

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WINO – Forever Gone

Ripple Music (Purple Sage PR)

Release date: 26/06/2020

Running time: 46 mins

Review by: Alun Jones

8/10

Who remembers that old TV programme, The Fall Guy?  You know, the one where the Six Million Dollar Man becomes a stuntman/bounty hunter, getting into all kinds of daredevil scrapes whilst pursuing the bad guys?  At the end of every episode, old Lee Majors (for it was he) would be seen chilling in his backyard hot tub, mulling over events whilst drinking a cold beer and smoking a big, fat cigar.

Well let it be known that I, too, like to relax in the tub with a beer after a long, hard day of whatever-the-fuck-it-is-I-do.  None of your business, really.  Just take it from me, I need to unwind in a mass of bubble bath, with candles and refreshment.  And of course, some music, just to add to the ambience.

This might not sound very metal to you, but let me tell ya: this new album from doom metal originator Scott “Wino” Weinrich would make ideal tunes for chilling in the tub.  Or pondering lost loves and fortunes in a dusty bar.  Or sound tracking a lonely drive across the desert, escaping an inevitable encounter.  But to be honest, I like the bathtub metaphor best, ‘cos I’ve not used it before.

“Forever Gone” is stripped down and intimate; the title song itself is just Wino the man, plus acoustic guitar.  Beautifully melancholic, the listener can really get lost in this.  “Taken” also ploughs a lonesome path, with Wino’s voice revealing a soulfulness that I’d never appreciated before.  

For any fans of The Obsessed or Saint Vitus who were hoping for something louder and more aggressive, there’s not too much of a leap from familiar ground really.  Other than the sonics, the emotions of loss and despair are what unifies Wino’s other output to this endeavour.  “Dark Ravine” brings a more Americana style to the proceedings, but it’s all still intense as hell, whether the guitars are turned right up or not.    

It’s not all gloom, though: “You’re So Fine” introduces a laid back, country blues number that sounds almost boogie-ish.  Throw in a great cover of Joy Division’s “Isolation” and this is an album that’s certainly full of surprises.

Great music can create images in your head for your own movie; “Forever Gone” is one of those.  Melodic yet mournful, intense and introspective, there are dozens of stories to be told within the grooves of this record. 

Check out Wino on Facebook, Twitter and Bandcamp.

Visit the Ripple music website here, or check ’em out on Facebook or Bandcamp.

And make sure you visit Ever Metal for more reviews of awesome music!