North Carolina’s sludge/doom metal act Bronco drops first video single »Ride Eternal« taken from upcoming self-titled debut album!

North Carolina’s southern sludge/doom metal band Bronco is gearing up to release their self-titled debut album on February 28th, 2025 via Magnetic Eye Records.

Watch a music video for the first single »Ride Eternal« below!

Tracklist:
01. Scourge Descent
02. Ride Eternal
03. Light Of God
04. Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia
05. Legion
06. Fades All
07. Damnation
08. T.O.N.S.

Courtesy of All Noir PR:

Sailing from the pirate coves of Cape Fear, North Carolina’s Bronco unleash their crushing debut single »Ride Eternal«, a heavy blend of doom metal and Southern sludge molasses. The premiered track is taken from the newly signed Americans’ forthcoming Magnetic Eye Records debut full-length »Bronco«, which is set for release on February 28, 2024. The album pre-sale is now available at this location.

“The track »Ride Eternal« came from a period of heavy rumination about going from living on tour to forced acceptance of that part of life being over,” vocalist and bass player Bronco writes. “It was inspired by classic baroque organ tales like Bach’s »Toccata and Fugue in D minor« and also wanting to do some heavy drone riffing without falling over bored while playing it.”

South of Wilmington, North Carolina at the estuary of the Cape Fear River, the prominent headland of Cape Fear stubbornly pushes back into the ever attacking waves of the ocean. Its treacherous waters, rugged rocks, massive undercurrents, and pirate coves are a part of the so-called Graveyard of the Atlantic and feared by sailors throughout the ages for the many ships and lives lost.

Photo by Logan Tudor

This is a fitting home for Bronco. The sound of their self-titled debut full-length »Bronco« is deeply steeped in doom metal and Southern sludge. It is also as obstinate, rough and unpolished, yet also genuine, honest, forward-pushing and unfiltered as the rocky ground it grew from.

The musical confidence and audible experience in both execution and songwriting has not just fallen from the sky. Bronco rose from the ashes of Toke after guitarist Tim Bryan suffered a tragic motorcycle accident in 2021. Out of respect for his incapacitated band mate, vocalist and bass player Bronco along with drummer JP decided to continue with a newly formed trio. Joined by guitarist Vic, they picked Bronco’s artist’s alias for their name.

Crawling, heavy aggression, molasses riffs, and barbed wire vocals seem to come with the terroir of North Carolina. Weedeater, Sour Vein and others have been brewing the heaviest sludge there. Sharing stages with standard bearers such as Bongzilla, ASG, and Black Task quickly fermented Bronco’s sound into a sonic projection of ash and bone.

»Bronco« bleeds out a mix of grinding horror and beat-down resignation. It’s a soundtrack to grim self-reflection and forced acceptance of life’s letdowns. Bronco pick up where Toke left off, and carry forward through successfully experimenting with new elements and approaches. »Bronco« is massive and brutal, and stands out in its defiant, unrelenting individuality.

Line-up:
Bronco – Vocals, Bass
Vic – Guitar
JP – Drums

Guest musician:
Chris “Scary” Adams – Vocals on »Legion«

Recording & mix by Chris “Scary” Adams at Hidden Audio, Savannah, GA (US). Mastering by Dennis Pleckham at Comatose Studios, Chicago, IL (US). Cover artwork by Tery Ramdhany. Layout by Łukasz Jaszak.

Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well