I’m a proud Philadelphia-area native, so whenever a band from Philly reaches out to me, I immediately want to check their music out. Call it my Philly pride bias. One of those bands is Rope Trick, an experimental heavy psych-rock duo from The City of Brotherly Love that’s back with a new EP called Red Tide, which will be available digitally on February 1st.
Initially formed in Providence, Rhode Island, Rope Trick consists of Indy Shome on guitar and vocals and Nate Totushek on drums. The duo burst onto the heavy underground scene in 2017 with East and West Coast tours and shared the stage with groups like Heavy Temple, Weird Owl, High Priestess, Kind, and The Ultra Electric Mega Galactic. They also released a three-song EP that year called Red Tape that made The Obelisk’s list of Top 12 Short Releases of 2017, which is quite the honor if JJ Koczan thinks the music is that good.
After a few years of conducting “top-secret experiments underground,” Rope Trick made their live return in October 2023 with a one-off show supporting Stinking Lizaveta and Darsombra in Philadelphia.
Rope Trick’s new EP, Red Tide, will be supported with a series of Eastern U.S. shows this spring starting March 1st at The Rotunda in Philly and then ranging from Virginia to Maine, so these dudes are ready to hit the road and play. A limited edition cassette of Red Tide will be sold on tour only.
The band says their tunes are good for fans of Soundgarden, Colour Haze, Fela Kuti, Cream, QOTSA, and Lightning Bolt – an eclectic assortment of artists that gives you a glimpse of their influences. They gave me a sneak peek of the two tracks on Red Tide – “Crescent” and “Neptune” – both lengthy heavy psych rock jams that should appeal to stoner rock heads and Doom Charts followers. I first listened to “Neptune,” which flexes its muscles over an eight-minute-plus runtime and shows the band in full hard rock jam mode.
Indy Shome handles guitar and vocals, with Nate on drums, so I was assuming there’s no bass in the mix. This was surprising because the song is still heavier than molasses, likely because of the down-tuned guitar playing. A heavy reverb permeates the song as Indy launches into guitar solo exploration midway through, and it reminded me a bit of Neil Young & Crazy Horse. I’ve been listening to Neil & Crazy Horse more lately, and I love the chaotic playing and reckless abandonment of their heavy jams – which “Neptune” contains, as well.
“Crescent” is an even longer track, pushing past twelve minutes and starting with a flourish of almost Western guitar playing. After a long instrumental intro, Indy’s vocals kick in with a dire urgency. It’s a frantic song that draws you in over its twelve-minute runtime and doesn’t let you go.
Fans of sludgy heavy psych rock should enjoy the two-track Red Tide, which drops on February 1st, so get your pre-orders in now. Along with the Neil Young & Crazy Horse similarities, I also sensed a strong kinship with Soundgarden at their darkest and heaviest. While you’re at it, check out Rope Trick’s debut 2017 EP, Red Tape. And if you live in the Northeast, check them out live this spring. Enjoy!
Pre-order Red Tide by Rope Trick on Bandcamp here.
Support Rope Trick by finding them on Bandcamp, their official website, or social media (Instagram, Facebook).
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