From under the stars of the Ohio River Valley, Cincinnati’s own psychedelic post-metal outfit, Sculptor, bring heavy riffs drenched in reverb and esoterica. Inspired by the legends written into the night sky itself, Sculptor extrapolates the modern from the ancient, divining new messages from the parables of the stars. Know the past to know the present, the stars to know the Earth, the world to know the self. As above, So below.

Simply, Sculptor‘s debut release is a self-titled, concept EP that retells the tales of the constellations themselves through a modern lens. Ryan Carney (AUTOMATON), Anthony Campbell (AUTOMATON), and James Drewyor (Desolate Remains) comprise the trio, who delves into a heavy psychedelic landscape with the help of Krusty at Claustrophonic Studios in Cincinnati. But, this isn’t your grandma’s psychedelic rock. The band also take inspiration from doom metal, and prog rock to create a vast, swirling universe of post-metal that should be unique, yet familiar, to fans of Baroness, Alcest, or Pallbearer.

About the EP, guitarist/vocalist Carney says, “Anger is easy. Growing up playing heavy metal, it becomes the default emotion to express in one’s music. For Sculptor and our self-titled debut, I tried to get uncomfortable with the subjects and sounds that we delved into, hoping to break away from the norms we’ve become used to. I looked to old stories and parables that have been told for thousands of years as guidance. I wanted to not only address uncertainty and fear that I, and so many others, feel on a constant basis, but also to promote the joy and power present in one’s self and community.”

You can find the Sculptor EP on Bandcamp and all streaming platforms.

Photo courtesy of Michael Clouse.