Bio

Time is a strange thing, just ask Ov Sulfur.

The Vegas-based deathcore band formed in the time blackhole of the pandemic, catapulted by the return of ex-Suffokate vocalist Ricky Hoover and inspired by his disdain for organized religion. Well, Ov Sulfur’s five years (and counting) have superseded his time in Suffokate, and Endless may just be the magnum opus for both him and the Las Vegas blackened deathcore band, here aiming for something timeless.

Ironically, it was born from a lack thereof, with the kind of crippling condition that could even take down a beast such as Ricky Hoover: writer’s block, a tale as old as time. Hoover and guitarist/vocalist Chase Wilson had already written “Seed” and “Wither,” about insurmountable doubt and grief, respectively, so they devised a theme: the impact of emotions without end?

“If experiences or the resulting feelings went on forever, the subject would go insane,” opines Hoover. “Even positive ones would be eventually be blasé, which could lead to a lot of questioning yourself. Of course, we focused on the negative ones; because we’re a metal band after all. What if this doubt never ceases? What if I never stop grieving over the loss of a loved one? How would this all make us feel? How would it affect our sanity?”

It may seem like a far cry from the anti-God bangers upon which the band built their career, but Wilson maintains Ov Sulfur “is still very much anti-organized religion.” The overarching theme calls back to a line from “Earthen,” a song about Hoover’s nephew’s tragic losing battle with cancer that questions, “What kind of god would test a child?” Extend that to everyone—does religion not claim us all as children of God?—and you have to wonder what kind of benevolent maker would put their very own through trials and tribulations.

The connecting fiber and centerpiece of the 10-song album is “Evermore,” which surpasses the band’s most devastating deathcore depths with a gruff-yet-enthralling chorus with dual-vocal trade offs. The Endless launch single questions the eternal life promised in many religions. Sure, in theory, the eternity is in some version of paradise, but when everything is special, nothing is.

Fortunately, that doesn’t happen musically. The aforementioned “Evermore” and “Seed” are joined by the likes of “Forlorn” (about eternal longing) in the Ov Sulfur on steroids category: symphonic flourishes atop deathcore breakdowns, energetic riffs and metalcore choruses. Those elements are blackened far darker on songs primarily written by drummer Leviathvn, such as “Dread,” “Bleak” and, most stunningly, “Vast Eternal.”

“Leviathvn barely had time to write and learn drums for The Burden Ov Faith, just based on when we first connected,” said Wilson, revealing the band had been in talks to hire a session drummer prior to the meeting. “We’ve since learned that not only can he produce ornate orchestration, he can even write full songs that really make good on the black metal side of the blackened deathcore equation.”

Another side of Ov Sulfur’s sound was similarly pushed further on Endless, proving their sound truly is without end. The melodic choruses are extended to full on songs, the band’s first with no screams, like the hard rocking “Wither” and ballad “Endless//Loveless.” It’s a logical extension to the band’s realization that Ricky could belt with the best of ‘em.

“I was originally only going to sing a soft intro to ‘Earthen’ on our last album,” reveals Hoover. “Once Chase and our vocal producer [for that album] Morgoth heard it, we reworked a bunch of stuff for me to sing more. That’s pushed further here. Chase even taught me to do falsetto in-studio (he actually took a video on his phone where I looked genuinely shocked I hit the notes because it was so new to me).”

Wilson expands on the vocal growth. “There is a lot of vocal interplay between the two of us, hinted at on The Burden Ov Faith’s ‘The Inglorious Archetype,’ inspired by Alice In Chains’ Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell. You can hear that on ‘Evermore,’ and we practically split ‘Wither’ down the middle; the song is about us both losing grandparents, so it’s super personal.”

Two new members (bassist Josh Bearden, who also produced the band’s debut Oblivion EP, and guitarist Christian Becker) also do vocals live, elevating their performance with potential to make new music extra dynamic.

The dynamism here is helped along by vocal features from Johnny Ciardullo (Carcosa), Josh Davies (Ingested) and Alan Grnja (Distant), joining Ov Sulfur’s illustrious guest list that includes Howard Jones (ex-Killswitch Engage, Light the Torch), Alex Terrible (Slaughter to Prevail) and many more.

Ov Sulfur has managed to tour with a similar caliber of artist through the years, such as Lorna Shore, Whitechapel, Chelsea Grin, Shadow of Intent, Signs of the Swarm, Carnifex and, most recently, Nekrogoblikon. A massively successful co-headliner with fellow Century Media blackened deathcore band Mental Cruelty planted Ov Sulfur’s flag firmly.

If the flag were designed, it would have a middle finger on one side and hearts on the other.

“The first album was more of a ‘fuck you’ to the people who didn’t understand or fuck with Ov Sulfur,” states Wilson. “Endless is more of a love letter to the people who did and stuck around.”

As that cohort grows, it’s clear the “(ex-Suffokate)” tag will soon be dropped from references to Ricky Hoover. He’s Ricky Hoover—from Ov Sulfur. Forever. This is Endless.