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If it weren’t for Covid, Ricky Hoover would be cutting somebody’s hair instead of speaking to Hammer. When he left his previous band, Suffokate, he was done with music and was happy settling into his new barbering career. Then the world shut down, and his creative urges returned.
Now, he’s the frontman for hotly tipped new deathcore band Ov Sulfur. Originally conceived as a studio-only project, the online reaction led to Ricky and his bandmates taking it more seriously.
“I didn’t expect it to go anywhere,” he tells us, “I thought it would be a couple of dudes making music and having fun, maybe playing a few bar shows. Then I posted it on Instagram, and it went insane.”
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Their debut album, The Burden Ov Faith, was a good start, but its follow-up, Endless, is the real game-changer. A mix of mosh anthems, big hooks, and black metal theatrics, it should entertain pit demons and singalong lovers alike. Each track has at least one memorable, ‘Wait what?!’ characteristic. There’s even – whisper it – a ballad. Ov Sulfur aren’t afraid to push the boundaries of their chosen genre, and Ricky wants to do more than growl.
“I’ve always enjoyed singing. It’s fun, man!” he laughs. “If you’re too tough for clean singing, then that’s cool, too. Each to their own, you do you.”
This willingness to challenge deathcore conventions has resulted in an entertaining and remarkably catchy album. Putting his scissors away has rejuvenated Ricky’s love of performing, and it’s given him a fresh perspective on his previous work.
“I never knew that my old band made such an impact,” he reflects. “I meet people who tell me how much they loved Suffokate. I only found out in the last couple of years how much we were loved, and it’s amazing.”
Endless is out now via Century Media. Ov Sulfur tour the UK from November 30.
SOUNDS LIKE: Blackened deathcore that isn’t afraid of clean singing
FOR FANS OF: Killswitch Engage, Dimmu Borgir, Shadow Of Intent
