Securing my first promo for 2025 proved to be a trial and a tribulation. Setbacks, obstacles, and complications conspired to leave me without a charge. But, at the eleventh hour, Portland, Oregon’s Time Rift swooped in to save the day! Established in 2014 from the ashes of the now-defunct Doomsower, In Flight hearkens back to the heavy metal and hard rock stylings of the 1970s, modernized in much the same way Night Flight Orchestra often strives to revisit and refresh tunes of the 1980s. With sophomore effort In Flight, Time Rift tout a revamped lineup, boasting the powerhouse pipes of new vocalist Domino Monet. With this new asset, label backing courtesy of Dying Victims Productions, and thirty freshly minted minutes of rollicking heavy music in tow, will In Flight help Time Rift soar above the toils of the underground, or will it fail to launch?
Time Rift reminds me very heavily of last year’s Saturday Night Satan, which is an excellent place to start. Subtract the occult inspirations, you still gain massively hooky songs, belting and charismatic vocals, buttery smooth rock riffs and grooving percussion. Built for fans of classic acts, like Budgie, and modern standouts such as Argus, Pristine, and Satan alike, In Flight is upbeat, youthful, and brimming with vim and vigor. However, unlike the vast majority of what we cover here, Time Rift’s material appeals to a wider audience by virtue of its cleaner tones, lighter character, and old-school approach to rocking and rolling. Put another way, these are numbers better suited for cruising long stretches of abandoned highway at high speeds, wind in your hair, and not a care in the world, than for getting brutally spit-roasted by a horde of Satan’s Finest in a snow-capped Scandinavian forest.
At a remarkably tight thirty-one minutes, In Flight dives in, takes your money and your attention, and bolts in the blink of an eye. That doesn’t leave much time to make a lasting impression, but Time Rift’s undeniable hooks ensure maximum penetration. “I Am the Spear” rollicks with the swagger of an entire biker gang, kicking off the album with a propulsive, boisterous launch. Meanwhile “Follow Tomorrow,” “Coyote Queen,” and “The Hunter” follow up that explosive ante with infectious, anthemic choruses sure to lodge deeply in the gray matter for weeks at a time. A varied songwriting palette allows each of these aforementioned songs to mingle beautifully with more out-of-the-box cuts, like the punky, Cam Girl-esque hit “Dancing with the Sun,” the sinister, bluesy closer “Hellbound,” or the lightened Iron Maiden gallop “Thunder Calling.” In sum, there are no bad songs on In Flight, and its fun factor remains high and consistent across the board.
That leaves points of improvement as my only source for critique, rather than true missteps. Firstly, an album this short and of this kind doesn’t need soft and fluffy interludes, even if they are as pretty as “Into the Stillness,” as they tend to siphon momentum from the experience without offering sufficient storytelling elements to compensate. Yet, “Into the Stillness” does exactly that—too short and too superficial to make its mark. Cutting it or fleshing it out further would alleviate this sapping effect. Additionally, as rocking as In Flight undoubtedly is, it does veer a bit on the safe side. It’s not as much a question of what Time Rift do to elevate a time-worn style of rock past what we know works, but rather a lack of something particular in their sound or execution that is uniquely and unmistakably Time Rift. Based on what In Flight offers, that distinct voice that sets bands like this apart from their peers, young and olde alike, hasn’t yet surfaced.
At the end of the road, In Flight is fun, vibrant, and familiar. There’s nothing new here, nor is there anything wonky enough to give anyone a reason to kick it out of bed. However, there’s also not enough here to convince newcomers to sing its praises above more established household names. At least, not yet. There’s lots of potential still to be realized in Time Rift, and I for one am more than a little curious to see where they’ll take me next.
Rating: Good
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Dying Victims Productions
Websites: timerift.bandcamp.com/releases | facebook.com/timeriftband
Releases Worldwide: January 17th, 2025
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