Cloudkicker

Cloudkicker sounds like the intersection of mechanical precision and natural wonder. It is music that feels engineered rather than just composed, utilizing interlocking guitar patterns that click together like clockwork. Despite being the work of one person with a drum machine, there is a profound sense of scale and space, often evoking the feeling of being miles above the earth in a pressurized cabin. It moves from heavy, palm-muted chugging to shimmering, crystalline melodies without ever losing its momentum.

What makes Ben Sharp's project distinctive is the lack of ego in the virtuosity. While the time signatures are complex and the layering is dense, the focus is always on the 'groove' and the emotional arc of the song. The aviation themes are not just window dressing; they inform the rhythmic drive and the sense of lift present in the arrangements. It is progressive metal stripped of its theatricality, replaced by a grounded, DIY honesty that feels both intimate and expansive.

Start with the 2010 album Beacons. It is the definitive statement of the Cloudkicker sound, featuring some of the most iconic riffs in the instrumental metal canon. From there, explore Fade for a more melodic, grunge-influenced take on the project's core identity, or dive into the recent I, the Organic Machine to hear how the project has evolved into even more experimental, jagged territories.