ALBUM REVIEW: Planetary Space Child – Ruby The Hatchet
Psychedelic Space Rockers RUBY THE HATCHET offer their new release Planetary Space Child, which is brimming with complex themes and ideas, all bundled up in a doom laden, acid Rock package that feels well aged, and yet completely fresh.
A Tear In Space And Time opens like theme from Stranger Things; dark and seductive, blowing into the melody that rings open and strong. Being an instrumental track, it’s a smooth way to introduce title track Planetary Space Child. We get a feel for the echoing vocal style now, with a lulling rhythm that captures your imagination. The big scope of the music, the haunting space themes and the cool seventies sensibility to the overall tone give this Hard Rock album an instant intrigue.
Killer takes on a more confident stride. Bold drumming takes the helm, strong vocals like a smooth whiskey flow over the tune. It’s nice to have some variety in Rock music, and RUBY THE HATCHET brings back some of that seventies nostalgia with electric organ and reverb all over it. If you’re a fan of bands like CROBOT or BLUE PILLS, this record should resonate with you. Pagan Ritual takes on that same eerie vibe with its choice of tone, full of life and mystery. It’s progressive for sure, but laced with more psychedelic doom. This album is brimming with confidence and classic feeling, taking that big stage feeling into the studio and making it painfully apparent that these guys are just perfect for festivals. There’s some very good riffs and breakdowns from the strings and once again, the drums really come into their own on this record. It’s all funk and play with this band, and it’s completely infectious from all angles.
The Fool takes a step back into the mellow here. RUBY THE HATCHET recorded this album on an estate from the 1800s, so you get that they want to create an authentic, crafted feeling, which is undoubtedly what you get here. The Fool builds and layers itself all the way until the end, and demands multiple listens. Symphony of the Night is much in the same vein as what has gone before in its psychedelic, spacey-free-love ideas, with flecks of fresh dynamics to keep things interesting. Thankfully no matter what direction in their weird and wonderful sound, it is always creamy smooth, with ethereal vocals and purely creative energy.
Gemini gets a little more LED ZEPPELIN with its guitarwork, while fusing some more big vocals for a big choral sound. The acid Rock feeling really comes home here, whilst Lightening Comes Again starts as a subdued ending to this album, a mellow perspective piece that reflects the bands isolation in their recording of Planetary Space Child. Quickly, however, it ebbs and waves itself back into a flowing melodic soundscape of complexities and musical diversities. There’s a strong identity throughout this album, and it’s a pleasure to end one with so much character on a track as well bodied as this.
It takes a confidence and a lot of character to create such an album as Planetary Space Child. To fuse sounds familiar to many into a tonal atmosphere with such rich energy, a feeling something like an alternative dimension where the best of psychedelic rock still booms, and to do it this well, is impressive. If you like this experimental, classic and yet unexplored sound, then you’re going to enjoy pretty much all of what RUBY THE HATCHET are offering.
Rating: 8/10
Planetary Space Child is out now via Tee Pee Records.
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