Cloudkicker

Cloudkicker is a one man progressive metal project from Ben Sharp (aka B.M. Sharp), heavily influenced by math metal and post-metal. Sharp utilizes drum machines and custom tuned guitars in his recordings. progressive and instrumental influences are also obvious in his music. Aviation has been a major recurring theme across multiple releases. Most of the song titles, album titles, and art work are inspired, derived, or influenced by Aviation.

Aviation has been a major recurring theme across multiple releases. Most of the song titles, album titles, and art work are inspired, derived, or influenced by Aviation. For example, each song title from Beacons was taken from actual black box recordings or radio transmissions from from crashed or malfunctioning airplanes.

The project has gotten a lot of attention even though he doesn't have a record deal, and is entirely self financed and produced. Ben has gone on the record numerous times that he has no intention to ever sign a record deal. Most notably Devin Townsend stated in December 2010 that "Cloudkicker is really good stuff!" via his Facebook-page. Also Riley Breckenridge of the band Thrice named Beacons as one of his favorite albums of 2010.

You can download the entire Cloudkicker discography for free from his Bandcamp page. Follow him on tumblr for updates on new releases, merchandise, what he is listening to himself, his equipment, and more. Ben also has a SoundCloud with songs, loops,, etc of songs/ideas he is working on or that did not make a release. All of the uploads to SoundCloud are now able to be downloaded.

Discography:
Fade (2012)
Let Yourself Be Huge (2011)
Loop (2011)
Beacons (2010)
]]][[[ (2/2010) aka A New Heavenly Body (11/2010)
Portmanteau (2009)
The Map is Not the Territory (2008)
The Discovery (2008)

Some clarification to avoid confusion. ]]][[[ was re-mixed, re-mastered, and re-released as A New Heavenly Body in November of 2010. Ben has stated he did so after becoming dissatisfied with how ]]][[[ sounded and used the re-mixing and re-mastering process as a way to gain familiarity with new equipment he had attained before beginning the mixing and master of Beacons. Sometime around mid-2011 Ben reverted A New Heavenly Body back to ]]][[[ and its corresponding track titles due to confusion over the two releases being the same songs with different album and track titles as well as cover art.